Parkersburg, W.Va. (September 29, 2022) – West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Fine Arts Committee and Art Club are hosting the third annual Poorhouse Cemetery clean up. The event will take place on Oct. 8, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the cemetery on the main campus.

This event is open to students, staff, and faculty members from WVU Parkersburg and to the public. Participants will meet at the Poorhouse Cemetery on campus to pick up trash, straighten existing crosses, and spruce up veteran graves to prepare for Veteran’s Day. The committee recommends that participants bring tools for cutting back branches, gloves, and old shoes.

Poor farms were common in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Farms declined after the Social Security Act took effect in 1935. By 1950, poor farms had almost completely disappeared. A poorhouse could serve as a hospital, nursing home, orphanage, halfway home, or temporary prison.

“Residents were expected to work the fields, tend the livestock, clean, cook and help maintain the property to the extent that their health or physical abilities would allow. In return, they were given food, clothing, shelter, and medical care,” said Dr. Lauri Reidmiller, associate professor and advisor of the Art Club.

The Poor Farm Cemetery honors over 1,000 residents, including veterans, ex-slaves, infants, and other residents from the Wood County Poorhouse.

“The chance to take part in the project gives my students an interesting peek into our local history. Most students who attend WVU Parkersburg are not aware of the significance of the graveyard. Learning about historical events is not so abstract when they are tied to a specific person or family from our own community,” Reidmiller said.

The Fine Arts Committee and Art Club’s mission is to not only promote the arts and provide opportunities to explore the arts but also to promote community service. The Fine Art Committee publishes The Poorhouse Rag, the college’s annual literary magazine. Named after the Poorhouse Cemetery, the magazine publishes prose, poetry, children’s literature, and artwork addressing themes of social justice. WVU Parkersburg also observes Poorhouse Week, remembering the Poorhouse of Wood County which once stood on college grounds.

Another Poor Farm Cemetery cleanup will take place in the Spring. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Dr. Lauri Reidmiller at lreidmil@wvup.edu.