Poor Farm

What to do with the poor has been a question for societies since the beginning of time. As with many early towns, Orford auctioned off its poor in a form of indentured servitude for both short and long-terms depending on health and predicted longevity of life. The Overseer of the Poor, elected by the town, was responsible for coordinating the care of the poor. As the number of destitute increased in Orford, the town decided to open up a poor farm. A farm was purchased on the north side of Sunday Mountain for $2,340. In 1869, the number of poor had decreased while expenses continued to increase. The town sold the farm for $2,500 and a fire eventually destroyed the structure. After this year, the poor either went to individual families or were sent to the county farm in Woodsville. According to the 1904 New Hampshire law on poorhouses, towns were responsible for the poor if they had been in residence for seven years. Yet, the law also indicates some type of relief had to be provided for nonresidents. Relatives were responsible for their own poor and those that needed complete care were sent to the county poor farms. Children could only be sent to the county poor farms for sixty days until another placement could be found. Finally, if someone willfully transported a pauper to another town they were subject to fines and/or imprisonment. On the 1860 map, the road to the town farm is visible on the right where Tillotson Falls Road meets Archertown Road. The lane to the Poor Farm continues through the woods and today crosses Norris Road near the Cross Rivendell Trail entrance.