Strafford County Farm

The Strafford County Farm is a complex of buildings in Dover, New Hampshire, historically associated with the management of the poor and criminals of Strafford County. A significant portion of the farm is now taken up by the modern Strafford County Jail, but several historic buildings survive on the campus. These include the 1881 almshouse, a large three-story brick structure originally designed to house up to 300 individuals. This building's once-impressive facade is somewhat obscured by the presence of the 1970 nursing home which stands in front of it, and to which it is now connected. In 1907 the county built a 2-1/2 story brick jail adjacent to the almshouse. The new correctional facility, located across the parking lot from the older buildings, went into service in 2004.