West Virginia University at Parkersburg committee, club clean up Poorhouse Cemetery
Members of The Fine Arts Committee and The Art Club of West Virginia University at Parkersburg hosted the third annual Poorhouse Cemetery Clean-up on Saturday, from the main campus of WVU-P. Front row are Dr. Lauri Reidmiller, Isabella Reidmiller, Ashley Smith, Oliver Smith, Jasmine Roberts and Scott Rogers; and back row are Matthew Stuckert, Kage Mathess, Elijah Thomas, Wesly McCune, Max Habeb, LV Hissem. Not pictured is Bob Enoch, Kim Matheny, Finn Matheny, and Dave Reidmiller. (Photo Provided)
Dr. Lauri Reidmiller and Kim Matheny participated in the third annual Poorhouse Cemetery Clean-up. Reidmiller, an associate professor at West Virginia University at Parkersburg, member of the Fine Arts Committee, and advisor of the WVU-P Art Club, is the coordinator of the annual event. (Photo Provided)
Oliver Smith and Ashley Smith straighten the crosses located in Poor Farm Cemetery on the main campus of West Virginia University at Parkersburg on Saturday during the third annual Poorhouse Cemetery Clean-up. (Photo Provided)
Scott Rogers straightened crosses during the third annual Poorhouse Cemetery Clean-up, held on Saturday, at the main campus of West Virginia University at Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)
Members of The Fine Arts Committee and The Art Club of West Virginia University at Parkersburg hosted the third annual Poorhouse Cemetery Clean-up on Saturday, from the main campus of WVU-P. Front row are Dr. Lauri Reidmiller, Isabella Reidmiller, Ashley Smith, Oliver Smith, Jasmine Roberts and Scott Rogers; and back row are Matthew Stuckert, Kage Mathess, Elijah Thomas, Wesly McCune, Max Habeb, LV Hissem. Not pictured is Bob Enoch, Kim Matheny, Finn Matheny, and Dave Reidmiller. (Photo Provided)
Dr. Lauri Reidmiller and Kim Matheny participated in the third annual Poorhouse Cemetery Clean-up. Reidmiller, an associate professor at West Virginia University at Parkersburg, member of the Fine Arts Committee, and advisor of the WVU-P Art Club, is the coordinator of the annual event. (Photo Provided)
Oliver Smith and Ashley Smith straighten the crosses located in Poor Farm Cemetery on the main campus of West Virginia University at Parkersburg on Saturday during the third annual Poorhouse Cemetery Clean-up. (Photo Provided)
Scott Rogers straightened crosses during the third annual Poorhouse Cemetery Clean-up, held on Saturday, at the main campus of West Virginia University at Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)
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PARKERSBURG -- West Virginia University at Parkersburg's Fine Arts Committee and Art Club hosted the third annual Poorhouse Cemetery clean up on Saturday at the cemetery on the main campus.
The event was open to students, staff and faculty members from WVU-P and to the public. Participants met at the Poorhouse Cemetery on the college campus to pick up trash, straighten existing crosses, trim back branches, and spruce up veteran graves to prepare for Veterans Day.
Dr. Lauri Reidmiller is an associate professor at WVU-P, a member of the Fine Arts Committee and advisor of the WVU-P Art Club. She was responsible for coordinating the event and provided a brief summary of the site's history.
"Poor farms were common in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and could serve as a hospital, nursing home, orphanage, halfway home, or even temporary prison. Farms declined after the Social Security Act took effect in 1935, and, by 1950, poor farms had almost completely disappeared. 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," she said.
The Poor Farm Cemetery honors over 1,000 residents, including veterans, ex-slaves, infants and other residents from the Wood County Poorhouse.
Reidmiller talked about the significance of the clean-up, in relation to area residents and students, "The chance to take part in the project gives our 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 as 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.
The college celebrates a week-long event, known as Poorhouse Week during the week of April 17, 2023. The event will feature an art exhibition and readings from the 2022-23 Poorhouse Magazine, recorded tours of the Poorhouse property, a spring clean-up of the cemetery, including replacing damaged or missing crosses and a presentation of the history of the Wood County Poorhouse farm.
"The Poorhouse Week is a great opportunity for our students and local community to learn about the history of what once stood on college grounds," said Reidmiller.
Another Poor Farm Cemetery cleanup will take place in the spring. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Dr. Lauri Reidmiller at Lreidmil@wvup.edu.
Maria Rutherford can be reached at mrutherford@newsandsentinel.com