Near Chauncey in Athens County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Athens County Infirmary

Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 22, 2018

1. Athens County Infirmary Marker, Side One

Inscription. In the first quarter of the nineteenth century, when the general public believed that the insane and paupers could be rehabilitated into productive citizens, the Ohio Legislature gave authorization to county commissioners to establish county "poor houses." The Athens County Home, formerly own as the Athens County Infirmary, opened on this site in 1857 to provide care for indigent citizens of Athens County. When fire destroyed the original building in 1903, a new building was constructed from 1904- 1905, designed with the capacity to house up to one hundred people. When it was built, it was considered to be one of the finest and most modern charitable institutions of its time. The facility continued to provide housing for indigent and elderly residents until 1997 when the County Commissioners closed the home and it became a primary location for the delivery of social services in Athens County.

When the Athens County Infirmary opened in 1906, its design and operation incorporated the principles of scientific charity. This social theory moved away from indiscriminate giving, and instead focused on understanding

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the causes of poverty and what outcomes might be obtained by charitable acts. Children and mentally ill patients, who had resided in the infirmary before 1906, were sent to other locations. The remaining adult population was divided by sex into separate wings of the building. This included separate dining areas and porches to maintain complete separation of the sexes. Able-bodied residents aided with the farm chores, helping support the operation of the infirmary and the farm on which it resided. Complete with its own livestock, barns, farm equipment, surgical room, and even its own power plant, the facility was nearly self-sufficient.

Erected 2004 by the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 7-5.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.

Location. 39° 23.586′ N, 82° 7.197′ W. Marker is near Chauncey, Ohio, in Athens County. It is on Ohio

Athens County Infirmary Marker, Side Two image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 22, 2018

2. Athens County Infirmary Marker, Side Two

Route 13 south of Main Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13206 OH-13, Chauncey OH 45719, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Hocking Hills.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Ohio River Valley,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Chauncey Civil War Patriots (approx. 0.9 miles away); The Clean Energy Generated By Our Solar Panels Will Save Both Money & The Planet (approx. 0.9 miles away); Coal Mining in Chauncey (approx. 0.9 miles away); Dover Township Veterans Memorial (approx. one mile away); Home of Joe Burrow (approx. 1.2 miles away); Wolfe Plains Adena Mound Group (approx. 1.3 miles away); Hartman (George Connett Mounds) Mound

Athens County Infirmary Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 22, 2018

3. Athens County Infirmary Marker

(approx. 1.3 miles away); The Plains Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chauncey.

Athens County Infirmary, Main Entrance image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 22, 2018

4. Athens County Infirmary, Main Entrance

This wing faces the road.

Athens County Infirmary image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 22, 2018

5. Athens County Infirmary

This wing faces the parking lot. To the right fields slope down to the Hocking River.

Photographed by Craig Doda, April 19, 2025

6. Athens County Infirmary Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2018, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,434 times since then and 122 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 1, 2018, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 6. submitted on April 23, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.