History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1705.J MODERATOR—MILL RIVER—ORDINARIES—JAIL. 473
property as well as tlie patient. The practice of boarding
the poor in families, probably letting them out to the lowest
bidder, may not have proved very satisfactory, though
it seems to have been followed in after years, and this may
have been deemed a more economical method of caring for
them. At all events, in March, 1705, the following vote
was passed :—
"The Towne considering that there was need of a house to intertaine
such as were poore And not Able to prouide for themselues they therefore
Agreed that a House should be Built on the Towne charge And
that it should remaine for that ser\dce viz : to intertaine such as from
time were poore and could not prouide for y" selues. At the same time
the Towne Agreed and voted that said house should be set up on the
point of the meeting house hill where the Schole house formerly stood
And they then did chose Ensigne Thomas Limon, Samuel Bartlet Sen
and Thomas Shelden to be A committee to take care and manage the
Building of said house with as much speed as may be."
Location o f t h e This is the first mention of a " Poor House "
Poor House. qj^ the towu records. It was situated very
nearly upon the site of the first meeting
house, at the junction of Main and King Streets, as that
building was used for a school house after the second meeting
house was built. It was undoubtedly demolished when
the new school house was erected in 1G93. How long the
poor house remained in use is not known. No subsequent
action was taken in the matter, and it is barely possible
that no almshouse was erected.
House of correc- No Sufficient place for the detention of crimtion
Ordered by inals existed in Northampton till the commencement
of the last century. Though a
cage had been provided in 1695, that could only have been
used for their temporary confinement. In March, 170f,
the court passed the following order : —
" Ordered that Joseph Hawley, Esq. Eben'' Pumry and Samuel Wright
of Northampton be a committee to agree with some workmen to build
a house of correction in Northampton and to provide materials for
building said hotise of 24 feet long and 16 feet wide besides the chimney,
and a small house at the end of said house, which said committee
are hereby empowered forthwith to cause the said work to be done upon
the county charge."