Fireside Chat: The Washington County Poor Farm & Cemetery Revisited – A project by Haley Williams

*Sponsored by Carson and Paige McSailor*

Just 3 miles from downtown Jonesborough, the 47-acre, county-owned Washington County Poor Farm and Cemetery property sits abandoned as a forgotten piece of regional history. In 2023, county officials asked the community for ideas on the property’s future. However, many locals are unaware of its existence or history: the oldest poor house to exist in Tennessee, closing its doors in 2004. In this fireside chat, we will discover the hidden history of the property found through newspapers, with headlines such as: “Washington County to Build Insane Asylum.” We will learn about a few residents of the farm, and its connections to Black History in Jonesborough, dating back to the 1870s! And we will discuss ideas for its future.
The County Farm and its residents are not to be forgotten.

How to register: No registration needed. Drop-in.

Cost: Food/beverage purchases encouraged to support nonprofit teahouse space.

Location: Fireplace/Living room, 1st floor

About Haley:
Haley Williams recently graduated summa cum laude from East Tennessee State University with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Appalachian Studies. Her project on the Washington County Poor Farm has been over a semester long and her passion has won her a Boland Research Day award. Haley has a continual interest in regional mental health history (asylums, state hospitals, poor houses) and aims to continue this research.