Larry Keel

Bandlands Bluegrass will raise money for restoring the McCoy Pioneer Fort
Description
On June 15-16-17, 2012
Badlands Bluegrass Benefit Festival

Bluegrass and cross-over music for historic preservation!
Bandlist is growing, a few spaces left to fill…looking for local bluegrass bands to join our headliners!

Tickets will go on-sale January 2012- early discount price $35

Website under construction

Location: The Poor Farm in Williamsburg, WV.

The pre-civil war Code of Virginia declared that the overseer of a county may purchase, sell, or cultivate lands for use of the poor. (They may provide) a Poor House, Work House, and other buildings, hire physicians, nurses, and servants.
In Greenbrier County the poor were housed at the County Infirmary, the Poor Farm, located one mile from Williamsburg on the road to Frankford. The number of houses is not known, but the numbers of tenants were listed in the Federal Census. From 1820 to 1944 there were county sponsored residents on this property. The numbers ranged from a dozen to three times that and they lived in communal housing at one end of the property. Women and children shared accommodations, some women were widowed and some children were orphans. The men did whatever farm work they were able, under the supervision of a Poor Farm Superintendent.
There is a cemetery of unmarked graves, two of the ‘row houses’ are still standing and the property has remained fully intact through private ownership since the 1940’s.
This was the government process of welfare, disability, child services and food stamps for over a century.
This is a historical property located in Greenbrier County WV . The owners of the property have decided to start having family oriented concerts and events on the property with the intent of restoring the property to its original shape. The Poor Farm is one of the most unique properties in Greenbrier County in the fact that it has three natural caves and a natural stream with native trout in it and that they will be providing some of the best entertainment that anyone has to offer.