Middletown Alms House
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Middletown Alms House | |
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| Location | 53 Warwick Street, Middletown, Connecticut |
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| Coordinates | 41°32′56″N 72°39′9″W / 41.54889°N 72.65250°W |
| Area | 1.3 acres (0.53 ha) |
| Built | 1813–1814 |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003772[1] |
| Added to NRHP | April 29, 1982 |
The Middletown Alms House is a historic building at 53 Warwick Street in Middletown, Connecticut, constructed in 1813–1814. It was originally used as a poorhouse and is the oldest surviving building built for housing the poor in Connecticut, as well as one of the oldest such in the United States.[2]: 6 One of the largest structures of the Federal period in Middletown,[citation needed] it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1]
The Town of Middletown built the Alms House in 1814 to house the town's poor. Many of the people housed there were required to work, either in the Alms House or in a local industrial business.[2]
The building at 53 Warwick Street served as a poorhouse until 1853, when the institution was moved to the Middletown Town Farms facility on Silver Street in the town's South Farms district.[2]
Shortly after, the Hubbard and Curtis Hardware Company occupied the building. This company, which manufactured tools, hardware, and wood-burning stoves, had its principal place of commerce on Main Street (359 Main Street) and manufactured its goods in this building. In the early 20th century, Fred I. Hodge, Sr. owned the Middletown Fire Arms and Specialty which manufactured valve wheels and guns. The Middletown Rifle Club had a rifle range in the basement and Hodge also repaired automobiles there. By 1981, C.B. Stone Inc., a home heating oil dealer, had occupied the building since the early 1930s.[2] It is currently used for offices.[citation needed]
