In 1820 the town built its fist Alms House on South Street to help out widows, orphans, abandoned families, the elderly, and people who could not support themselves for other reasons.
That original stone Alms House still sits on south Street, serving as a private residence. There was no federal assistance or state welfare in 1820. Local towns were expected to take care of their poor out of compassion and civic duty.
The first Alms House arose from a need to house the poor residents from Randolph. The south Street Alms House was a small building that housed about 13 people and a caretaker. The house quickly proved inadequate. that system became unwieldy and expensive, that by 1868 that town leaders had to do something quickly. In 1868 the town was spending about $650.00 per year to private residents for housing the poor.
After the brutal winter of 1867/1868 with Veterans returning from the civil War, and a economic down turn there were more people in need of assistance.
In 1868 town officials took action at the town meeting and the town authorized the construction of a new Alms house connected to a farm. the new three-story home sat on a high rise of land off Pleasant Street. George ropes, a famous Boston architect who worked on many of the homes in the famous Back Bay section of Boston, designed the second alms House. Each floor would have 2000 square feet of floor space.
The town built the new three-story, nine bedroom home for a cost of $11,885.69 and furnished the entire home for $801.59, provisioned it for $331.68 and purchased $343.00 in farm animals. the caretaker's annual salary was $350 a year.
The town only planned to use the first and second floor, but there were so many poor people at the time, six more family bedrooms were added on the third floor and a dorm room that could sleep up to ten single people.
The new Alms farm concept was a success, with the residents raising $233.65 in income from their farm efforts. The new home cut the town welfare cost by 80 percent.
A few years later more room was needed on both the first and second floor. the town added an addition to the north side of the home, the first floor being a kitchen and food storage area, and the second floor being a dorm room for twenty single people.
The Alms Farm served the twon well until the 1940's, when federal and state public assistance came about.
In the last 1940s the town leased the alms house with 2 1/2 acres of land to AMVETS Post 51. In 1959 the Amvets purchased the Alms house with 2 1/2 acres from the town.
In the 1960s an addition was put on to the building that was the old kitchen and food storage area, the building electoral, heating system were upgraded, and central air condition was added. In 1972 this area was again expanded into what is now the pizza kitchen and pool room area.
In the early 1990s the main floor of the original building had all its interior wall removed and two 24 inch steel I beams were installed that run the full length of the building, to support the second and third floors. The new electoral system with low voltage lighting was installed for the first floor. The building was made handicap acceptable. A new 1,400 square foot addition was added to the south side of the building. the first floor air putrefaction system was upgraded to exceed the 1998 Massachusetts clean air act.
That original stone Alms House still sits on south Street, serving as a private residence. There was no federal assistance or state welfare in 1820. Local towns were expected to take care of their poor out of compassion and civic duty.
The first Alms House arose from a need to house the poor residents from Randolph. The south Street Alms House was a small building that housed about 13 people and a caretaker. The house quickly proved inadequate. that system became unwieldy and expensive, that by 1868 that town leaders had to do something quickly. In 1868 the town was spending about $650.00 per year to private residents for housing the poor.
After the brutal winter of 1867/1868 with Veterans returning from the civil War, and a economic down turn there were more people in need of assistance.
In 1868 town officials took action at the town meeting and the town authorized the construction of a new Alms house connected to a farm. the new three-story home sat on a high rise of land off Pleasant Street. George ropes, a famous Boston architect who worked on many of the homes in the famous Back Bay section of Boston, designed the second alms House. Each floor would have 2000 square feet of floor space.
The town built the new three-story, nine bedroom home for a cost of $11,885.69 and furnished the entire home for $801.59, provisioned it for $331.68 and purchased $343.00 in farm animals. the caretaker's annual salary was $350 a year.
The town only planned to use the first and second floor, but there were so many poor people at the time, six more family bedrooms were added on the third floor and a dorm room that could sleep up to ten single people.
The new Alms farm concept was a success, with the residents raising $233.65 in income from their farm efforts. The new home cut the town welfare cost by 80 percent.
A few years later more room was needed on both the first and second floor. the town added an addition to the north side of the home, the first floor being a kitchen and food storage area, and the second floor being a dorm room for twenty single people.
The Alms Farm served the twon well until the 1940's, when federal and state public assistance came about.
In the last 1940s the town leased the alms house with 2 1/2 acres of land to AMVETS Post 51. In 1959 the Amvets purchased the Alms house with 2 1/2 acres from the town.
In the 1960s an addition was put on to the building that was the old kitchen and food storage area, the building electoral, heating system were upgraded, and central air condition was added. In 1972 this area was again expanded into what is now the pizza kitchen and pool room area.
In the early 1990s the main floor of the original building had all its interior wall removed and two 24 inch steel I beams were installed that run the full length of the building, to support the second and third floors. The new electoral system with low voltage lighting was installed for the first floor. The building was made handicap acceptable. A new 1,400 square foot addition was added to the south side of the building. the first floor air putrefaction system was upgraded to exceed the 1998 Massachusetts clean air act.