The Almshouse of Suffolk County

Invoice, 1888

In 1870, Suffolk County established a county-wide poor house located in Yaphank, in central Brookhaven Town. Prior to 1870 each town in Suffolk County managed a poor house for the residents of the town, which was considered by many to be the solution to a wide range of social ills. In 1929 New York State mandated that all institutions known as a "poor house" or an "almshouse" change their name, and as a result, the Suffolk County Almshouse changed its name to the Suffolk County Home.

The Almshouse records are located at the Historic Documents Library in the Office of the Suffolk County Clerk at the Suffolk County Center in Riverhead, NY. The collection includes admissions records (1871-1952), death and cemetery records (1871-1953), records of pauper Indians (1904-1921), and financial records (1888-1936) created by Suffolk County employees during the course of work at the Almshouse in Yaphank, NY. Many of the Almshouse records were created in response to an 1875 New York State requirement that specified the content of records that must be maintained by every poor house or almshouse in New York State. The collection includes a wealth of genealogical and sociological information about governmental and societal interactions with the disadvantaged members of the community in the late 19th century. 

Collections Hours: By Appointment

Address: Suffolk County Center, Public Access, 310 Center Dr S, Riverhead, NY 11901

Website: https://suffolkcountyny.gov/clerk

Online Finding Aid: http://dlib.openlib.org/home/mptakacs/almshouserecords.html

Contact: (631) 852-2000