Many years ago, the county’s poor were supported in houses
located on some farm in each town, known as town-farms, or boarded out in
private families. However, it was found
that “only the poor and less desirable families would board the county pauper,
and more sad still, the children of these paupers were even looked down upon,
and wrongfully made to bear the opprobrium of their misfortunes by the other
children of the districts in which they might be boarded – thus blasting the
first spark of ambition in their earliest years. It was from such considerations that the plan of county-farms was
attempted.”[1][1]
The beginning of the Sullivan County Home was made in 1866
when the county purchased 395 acres in Unity for $6,500 from Lyman
Rounsevel. This included all the
buildings.
In 1869 the county purchased from H. Roudy 50 acres for
$450. In 1903, Elgin, Annie and George
Colburn of Unity deeded to the county 200 acres for $1,200. In 1907, C. Reed Lewis of Unity sold the
county 50 acres for $175. In 1921, the
county purchased the Judkins property, - 300 acres for $2,100. Finally, the county purchased the Mills farm
for $8,700; this protected the Marshall pond (which was the county farm water
supply) from any pollution.
In 1883, the county convention authorized erection of a
building 36’ x 42’ containing 18 rooms with bathrooms and closets. At that time, the cost of supporting each
pauper was $1.52 a week.
In 1930, it was voted to build a new almshouse for
$150,000, and it was erected in 1931.
It was in this building that Dr. Henry C. Sanders, Jr., who had been the
county Doctor since 1927, attended the county patients. Dr. Sanders resigned from the position of
county Doctor in 1942. Replacing Dr.
Sanders was Dr. Carl M. Stearns. It was
at that time that the County Commissioners and County Convention named this
building for Dr. Sanders.
In 1963, the County Commissioners began planning for a new
building to be built on the Unity property. In July, 1970 this new building was
dedicated to Dr. Stearns for his many years of service to the county’s sick.
In 1997, the county opened a 32 bed special care building
specifically designed for the care of residents afflicted with the Alzheimer’s
disease. This building was named after
Commissioner Frank MacConnell, Jr., who was instrumental in seeing this
building built.
Today, Sullivan County Health Care is one of the ten largest Nursing Homes in the State of New Hampshire. It is licensed by the State as a 156 bed, Skilled Nursing Facility, continuing its tradition of caring for the county’s elderly population.
Chronological list of
Superintendents, Matrons and Administrators:
Mr.
James W. Dodge 1867 – 1871
Mr.
& Mrs. Jonas Hastings 1871 – 1877
Mr.
& Mrs. Charles F. Carr 1877 – 1879
Mr. K. J. Wilson
1879 – 1884
Mr. Thomas Bailey (Annex Building) 1884 – 1885
Mr. Martin A. Herrick 1885 – 1891
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Willard 1891 – 1901
Mr. W. E. Perry
1902 – 1904
Mr.
Fred Bean 1904 – 1905
Mr. & Mrs. H. E. Buswell 1905 – 1906
Mr. & Mrs. Oliver Putnam 1907 – 1924
Mr. & Mrs. Luman Grout 1926 – 1944
By vote of the County Convention on December 12,
1931
the name of Sullivan County Farm was changed to the Sullivan County Home.
Mr. & Mrs. William George 1944 – 1957
Mr. & Mrs. Omer C. Ahern 1957 – 1984
Ms. Mary Louise Horn 1984 – 1988
Ms. Diane H. Pappalardo 1988 – 1989
Mr. Robert Lawrence
1990 – 1991
Mr.
Robert A. Hemenway 1991 – 2004
Mr. Courtney
Marshall 2005 – 2006
Mr. Scott Wojtkiewicz 2006 – 2007
Mr. David Laplante 2007 – 2007
Interim
Mr. Ed Gil de Rubio 2007 – 2007
Mr. Ted Purdy 2007
[2][1] From “Sanitary Conditions of Almshouses”, in the 1871 Transaction of the N.H. Medical Society.