THE COUNTY INFIRMARY CEMETERY
GRAVES OF UP TO 80 SOULS
AND NO GRAVESTONES TO IDENTIFY THEM
There is a small cemetery in Doddridge County known only to a handful of people. It is the “Poor Farm Cemetery”, or the “Infirmary Cemetery” located on Sunnyside just across old Rt. 50 from the site of the former Britton Rest Home. It is alleged that there are up to eighty graves in the cemetery while others claim there are about thirty. The reality is that there are only four or five gravestones there. The others lay quietly in their final resting place with no markers to identify they are there.
Ernie and Janet Sheets (former Historical Society Secretary), along with their daughter, Sarah, and Janet’s father, Marvin Brissey, cleaned the long-abandoned Doddridge County Infirmary Cemetery, removing trees and underbrush in about 1992. Since that time, Perry Ferguson has kept it cleaned as well as the nearby Johnston Cemetery on the hill of his property southeast of old Rt. 50. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his kindness. We need to thank him for his service as a Veteran and a retired WV State Police officer as well. Mr. Ferguson has served his country, his state, and his community. He is a great example of honor, duty, and integrity, and has earned the respect of his community.
Human impulse would be to look for someone to blame the injustice. I assure you that it is not the intent of this article. Those buried there were in most cases extremely poor (like many of the people in this county at that time) and could not afford private medical care. Sadly, they died in spite of the care given to them free of charge by the Doddridge County Infirmary. With no family member who could afford a burial and in some cases no family at all, the responsibility fell to the county to provide a burial site. Thus, was the creation of the above said Poor Farm Cemetery in about 1892 (according to a statement in Deed Bk.133, Pg. 589, which stated “being the same land deeded to the County Court by John T. Johnston on March 4, 1892).
As we know though, free is never absolutely free. We, the people of the county paid the cost of caring for our impoverished neighbors. According to an article in the West Union Herald published in June of 1921, expenses at the Infirmary was three thousand dollars for that month.
Then came the horrors of the Great Depression. We know that the times were financially devastating for most families during this period. Many very wealthy families became bankrupt and lost everything including their homes. Suicide was not uncommon. Due to poor health from the lack of a proper diet, illnesses like Cholera, Diphtheria, Scarlet Fever, Smallpox, Tuberculosis, and Typhoid were constant threats howling at their doors. When those diseases weren’t attacking, the constant threat of dysentery and simple old age were always just one breath away. The Infirmary saved many lives during those years and provided proper burials for others.
We’ve been calling this place an infirmary. Isn’t an infirmary and a hospital the same thing? Good question. A hospital, an infirmary, and a nursing home are not the same thing. There is a difference. Obviously, we all know what a hospital is. Most of us have had a relative hospitalized at some point or even been hospitalized ourselves. However, in the interest of clarity, let’s look at the official definitions of each. A hospital is defined as a building where the sick is being diagnosed and treated. An infirmary is a place where the sick or injured are being cared for within a larger institution. That brings us to a nursing home, which is defined as a facility for the residential care of the elderly or disabled people. In short, a nursing home is used for individuals who do not need to be in a hospital but cannot be cared for at home.
The Doddridge County Infirmary was established after 1892 and prior to 1920. We know that because we know the property was purchased by the county in 1892 and we found the Infirmary listed as an expense for the county in the 1920 West Union Herald.
The Infirmary was described as a place for the poor and impoverished in need of medical care and could not afford to pay for the service. In June of 1920, the expenses incurred by the county was $3,000. The county ran the farm operation of the farm to offset some of the cost. It was mentioned in the same publication of the West Union Herald that a bull was purchased along with a sow (female pig) for the Infirmary farm.
After the County Infirmary closed in the early 1950s, Delford and Edna Baker Britton leased the 235-acre Infirmary property in 1953, where they operated it as the Britton Rest Home. On July 15, 1960, Mr. and Mrs. Britton purchased the property for the sum of $12,000. Britton Rest Home closed in 1977 and was torn down many years ago. Edna and her large staff cared for more than 607 patients during their time of operation.
The property was divided for sale. The section that is currently used as a pipe yard and that was the site of the large infirmary/nursing home was purchased by Jan Chapman, owner of the successful Key Oil Company from where he operated for several years until he purchased the former Equitable Gas Co. Field Dept. nearby and moved his company to that location. Mr. Chapman is still the owner of the property on which the pipe yard operates. The remaining property including the site of the large barn and the fields on both sides of Middle Run was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Perry Ferguson.
A partial listing of individuals was found by researching the U.S. Census records. They are listed as having been in the facility at the dates shown but does not necessarily mean they were buried in the cemetery. The list is as follows:
In 1900 – Nancy J. Clark, Sarah Terry, Julia Claybourne, Olga Hitt, Manza Davis, Robert Swan, John Wright, Arthur C. Britton
In 1910 – Rebeckah Backus, George W. Snyder, Err Davis, Mansfield Davis, Letcher Kellerman
In 1920 – Mary V. Terrel, Anna M Lipscomb, Buster Lipscomb, Jessie Lipscomb, Grant Lipscomb, Dollie Lipscomb, Carl B. Knight
In 1930 – Nelson Jones, Alex L. Martin, William Reed, Floyd Leatherman, Edward Piggott, Christina Barker, Saphrona Williams, Anna Hitt, Susan McCloy, Adaline Hughes, Blanch Rucker, Ethel Rucker, Myrl Rucker, Howard Rucker, Dorsey Rucker, Clarence Rucker, Cecil Rucker, Ellen Rucker, Jasper N. Cottrill
In 1940 – John S. Ball, Alexander Martin, George W. Long, Porter Prunty, Friendly W. Williams, Anne B. Hitt, Sophronia Williams, Flora Hinkle, Joseph C. Gallien
Not listed, but identified as buried there – H. Richards, Mamee Judy Ann Jones, Clovis Ray Jones
When the Doddridge County Historical Society wrote the widely praised book, “History of Doddridge County” in 1979, Edna Baker Britton wrote the following:
“After my Dad’s death, we moved in with Mother and lived there two years. We then leased the Doddridge County Infirmary, a 235-acre farm at Sunnyside, where we were caretakers of elderly people. We ran a dairy farm and worked for the Doddridge County Court for 12 years, caring for 127 county patients. The County Infirmary closed in 1953 and was sold at the front door of the County Court House. We bought the farm and began operation of Britton Rest Home, with 32 beds. We cared for 607 patients during the 36 years of operation, with the oldest patient being 101. I joined the West Virginia Nursing Home Assn in 1953 and received ‘Better Life Award’ from the Assn for the many years of service in caring for sick, handicapped, and elderly people. I attended nurses’ conventions in several states and attended the University at Pittsburgh, Pa., where I received my license as administrator for nursing home. In 1977 the nursing home was closed.”
“The Sunnyside schoolhouse was moved from old Route 50 east of Greenwood Hill down to the Infirmary property in 1934 by Wesley Thomas and Levi Samuel Bee. It was moved on sled runners with horses. The building was used for workers on the farm to live in. We lived in the schoolhouse building for 24 years after buying the farm. After the nursing home closed, we moved into the large building, and the old schoolhouse is now used for Britton Union Gospel Mission Church.”
Today the beautiful small country church, renamed Britton Gospel Mission Church, still stands on the property and continues to be active. Rev. Gilbert Neely has been the pastor of that church for more than twenty years. A kinder soul, you will have great difficulty in finding. Rev. Neely continually drops what he is doing to go help a neighbor or even a stranger, most often at his own expense. He is truly a Godly man.
The Doddridge County Historical Society will initiate Project Identify as one of its top projects for 2021. The Society will work hard to identify as many of the graves in the Infirmary Cemetery as possible and then have the Cemetery properly registered with FindAGrave.com. We need your help in identifying these dear souls unmarked graves. We cannot identify where in the cemetery they are buried, but we can erect a large gravestone with all those that we identity’s names on it. If you have any information relating to this task, please contact us by calling (304) 873-1540 and ask for Patti or email [email protected]. If you prefer, contact us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/doddridgecountyhistorical
God Bless,
Patricia Richards Harris