Chicken Coop, Wash House, and Wood Shed, 1873

Chicken Coop, Wash House, and Wood Shed, 1873. . Chicken Coop , Originally constructed in 1873, the chicken coop was an essential part of daily life at the infirmary. This chicken coop was one of two poultry buildings, but the smaller coop is no longer standing. German immigrant John Abke and Wood County native Jim Sprague were infirmary inmates in the 1940s, whose daily chore was to help with the chickens. , Photo John Abke and Jim Sprague , Wash House , Laundry at the infirmary was a daily chore and difficult to manage given the number of inmates and insufficient supply of water. Local stonemason, Morris Walker, built a new laundry facility in 1911 for $1,048.50. Over the course of many years, the wash house structure changed to accommodate updated models of industrial washing machines. Hired man, Charley Crusa, noted in his journal countless hours of maintenance on the wash house. Documentation revealed that in 1956, the Wood County Commissioners approved the purchase of a Bock Laundry Machine Model 400 Extractor and a Huebsch Gas Heated Open End Tumbler from Carl Ebert and Co., Findlay, Ohio. , Wood Shed , The wood shed was an area to keep cut wood dry until ready for use in the boilers or stoves. This building was repurposed after the Wood County Museum was established and referred to as the slaughterhouse. While animals were processed on the former infirmary site, documentation does not indicate or specifically mention a slaughterhouse building. This structure is no longer standing. , Fun Fact , Morris Walker, the stonemason for the Wash House, was the father-in-law of William Blystone, the stonemason for the Hog Barn. William was married to Morris's daughter, Clara G. Walker.