Middletown Alms House

The Middletown Alms House is a three-and-a-half-story Federal-style building located at 53 Warwick Street in Connecticut. Its brick walls feature Flemish bond work above a brownstone foundation, topped with asphalt shingles.

Built between 1813 and 1814, this facility served as Connecticut's first shelter for impoverished residents. The institution relocated to Silver Street in 1853 as community needs changed.

The structure reflects early 19th-century social welfare practices, where residents received housing in exchange for work at local industrial businesses or within the facility.

The building now serves as office space for various businesses after years of different commercial uses. It remains accessible at its downtown location on Warwick Street.

Large brownstone blocks supporting an adjacent Victorian house came from a twelve-cell jail built on the grounds in 1846. These repurposed stones reveal a surprising secondary use of the property that few visitors know about.

Location: Middletown

GPS coordinates: 41.54889,-72.65250

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:12