Near New Castle in Craig County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Craig County Poor Farm

Photographed by Stephen Escalera, September 13, 2025

1. Craig County Poor Farm Marker

Inscription. After the Revolutionary War, care for people facing poverty in Virginia ceased to be the responsibility of Anglican parishes and instead was managed by county-appointed “overseers of the poor.” Craig County, formed in 1851, initially assisted the poor outside of institutions but in 1892 established a 250-acre working farm near here as a residence for those unable to support themselves, often because of age or disability. Residents provided labor as they were able. The property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, included three cottages, a superintendent’s house, outbuildings, and a cemetery. The county sold the property in 1921, opening a new poor farm north of New Castle.

Erected 2024 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number KH-9.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Charity & Public Work. A significant historical year for this entry is 1892.

Location. 37° 24.979′ N, 80° 16.337′ W. Marker is near New Castle, Virginia, in Craig County. It is at the intersection of Cumberland Gap Road (Virginia Route 42) and Poorhouse Farm Road, on the right when

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traveling south on Cumberland Gap Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13204 Cumberland Gap Rd, New Castle VA 24127, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Mountain Region

and in Southwest Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern 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 territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bellevue (approx. 1.3 miles away); William Addison “Add” Caldwell (approx. 1.3 miles away); Great Eastern Divide (approx. 3.7 miles away); Audie Murphy Monument (approx. 4.4 miles away); Gravel Hill Christian Church (approx. 5.2 miles away); Roanoke County / Craig County (approx. 6.8 miles away); Anderson-Doosing Farm (approx. 7.2 miles

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away); Catawba Sanatorium (approx. 9½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New Castle.

Credits. This page was last revised on November 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 24, 2025, by Stephen Escalera of Roanoke, Virginia. This page has been viewed 74 times since then and 31 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on November 24, 2025, by Stephen Escalera of Roanoke, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.