Ramsey County Poor Farm Barn, Registered historic brick barn in Maplewood, Minnesota.
The Ramsey County Poor Farm Barn is a two-story brick building located at the intersection of Frost Avenue and White Bear Avenue in Maplewood. Its lower level currently houses the Ramsey County Cooperative Extension Service, which uses the space for educational programs affiliated with the University of Minnesota.
Built in 1918 by architects Buechner & Orth, the barn was constructed as part of a government facility for poor residents. The structure was one of several buildings that formed an operation designed to be largely self-supporting through the labor of those who lived there.
The building was part of a facility where poor residents worked to earn their shelter, food, and clothing. This practice shapes how visitors understand the place's past and what questions it raises about care and community responsibility.
The brick exterior is easily visible from the street corner where it sits, making it simple to locate and photograph from the outside. Access to the interior depends on the Extension Service's program schedules, so it is best to plan a visit around these educational events.
An underground tunnel system beneath the barn once connected the various buildings of the complex. During the 1960s, someone managed to hide in these tunnels undetected for two years, a remarkable story of concealment within the larger institution.
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