Pictured: Coudersport Rotary President Greg Brink, Margo Crosby

The Coudersport Rotary Club welcomed Margo Crosby of the Potter County Historical Society as the guest of Rotarian Lynne Ruffner at its November 9 meeting at A&W West End Grill. Margo shared her research into the history of the Potter County Home and Asylum, commonly known as the county poorhouse.

Originally established around 1829, the county home housed men, women, children, the elderly, and individuals with physical and mental health challenges. The facility operated as a working farm, with residents helping raise livestock and grow food. Its population reached approximately 100 by 1908, creating overcrowding. The property later became the Maple View Complex, which was destroyed by fire on May 2, 1992. All records were lost in the fire.

Margo’s interest in the subject is personal, as her uncle was once a resident of the home. She is researching the lives of former residents, with a special goal of identifying unmarked graves in the cemetery so that proper markers can be placed. She hopes to write a book preserving the history of the institution and the families connected to it.

Margo welcomes information, photographs, and family stories from anyone who knows something about the Potter County Home and Asylum. The Rotary Club thanked her for her dedication to preserving this important part of Potter County history and restoring identities to those who might otherwise be forgotten.