Dexter Asylum
| Dexter Asylum | |
|---|---|
 Library of Congress photo, taken April 1958 just before demolition | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Poorhouse and farm surrounded by a wall |
| Architectural style | Victorian |
| Location | Bounded by Hope Street, Stimson Avenue, Angell Street, Arlington Avenue and Lloyd Avenue[1] |
| Town or city | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Named for | Ebenezer Knight Dexter |
| Construction started | 1824 |
| Completed | 1828 |
| Opened | 1828 |
| Closed | 1956 |
| Demolished | 1957 |
| Owner | City of Providence, Rhode Island |
| Grounds | 39 acres[2] |
| Known for | Poor farm |
Dexter Asylum was a "poor farm" on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1828 and housed poor, elderly, and mentally ill residents who could not otherwise take care of themselves.[3] In 1957 it was sold via auction to Brown University and demolished for a complex of athletic fields and buildings.
Benefactor
Before the Dexter Asylum, Providence had no institution to care for the poor. People unable to support themselves would be taken care of in private homes by caretakers who bid for the job.[3]
Ebenezer Knight Dexter was a wealthy mercantile trader in Providence, Rhode Island.[4] Upon his death in 1824,[1] he bequeathed his 40-acre Neck Farm on the East Side of Providence to the town.[4] Dexter stipulated in his will that a "poor farm" or almshouse be built on the site within five years.[4] In 1828, the Dexter Asylum, named for its benefactor, was completed and opened.[4]
Building and grounds
Building
The building itself was originally three stories high, and later expanded with a mansard roof and dormers.[2]
Wall
The property was known as much for its unusual stone boundary wall as the building itself. The specifications of the wall were detailed in Dexter's will. The will required that the city build "a good, permanent stone wall of at least 3 feet thick at the bottom and at least 8 feet high and to be placed on a foundation of small stones as thick as the bottom wall and sunk 2 feet into the ground."[4] It took eight years and $12,700 to complete the wall, which was over a mile long.[2] It is unclear whether the purpose of the wall was to protect the privacy of asylum residents, or to protect the neighbors from having to see the downtrodden residents within.[1][2]
Over time, the wall grew into local legend. Over the decades, boastful locals would claim to have picnicked on the wall, or walked or even bicycled the entire perimeter.[1] Wealthy neighbors sometimes viewed the wall as an eyesore.[2] Portions of the wall still stand today.[1]
Life at Dexter Asylum
At the time of its building, "poor farms" were considered a humane, progressive way to deal with poverty. The idea was that poor, elderly, and ill people would earn their keep by being required to work in a working vegetable and dairy farm instead of begging on the streets.[1] And indeed, proceeds from the farms helped the asylum to be financially self-sufficient, and even turn a profit, at least for a time.[4] The dairy farm included cows and pigs.[1]
Residents were typically unemployed immigrants, mostly from Ireland.[4] Residents were "indentured" for a period of six months and subject to strict rules of daily conduct.[4] Residents included both men and women, but they were strictly separated.[3] Visitors were allowed only once every three weeks.[3][4] Despite living on a working farm, residents were served only white bread and tea for dinner.[3]
By 1849, the institution faced overcrowding, with 190 residents living at the asylum at its height.[3] That number was trimmed to around 100, where it remained for most of the rest of its existence.[3]
Closing and destruction
By the early 20th century, the asylum began to decline.[4] As the neighborhood grew in affluence, a poorhouse was seen as less than desirable.[4] Also, society's ideas of how to help the poor were changing; "poor farms" were becoming an anachronism as states started providing social programs for the poor.[1] The resident population at Dexter also declined.[4] The city started to look for ways to close the institution. However, Dexter's will had initially specified that the town could never sell the property, and that it could only be used for his specified purpose.[3]
The city spent years in court, working to overturn this requirement.[3] In fact, the city brought its first court case as early as 1926, in an effort to turn the property into housing.[4] This case was lost, but finally by 1956 the state Supreme Court cleared the way for a public auction.[4]
In 1956, the plot was auctioned off, and Brown University won with a bid of $1,000,777,[4] or $25,653 per acre.[1] Eight residents were still living in the facility at the time of the sale.[4] Residents were moved, the existing buildings were demolished, and eventually an athletic complex was built on the site. The city set aside the monies from the sale to create the Dexter Donation, which gives annual grants to assist the city's poor.[1][4]
External links
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Li, Sophia (27 February 2009). "The East Side's Untold Story". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Dexter Donation: Ebenezer Knight Dexter's Enduring Gift to Providence". City of Providence. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Dexter Asylum Records". Rhode Island Historical Society. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Campbell, Paul R. "Ebenezer Knight Dexter: A Pioneer in Caring for the City's Poor". City of Providence; City Archives. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
