Headstone
Object number2016.29.11
MediumStone
Credit LineGift of the Polk State Center
DescriptionHeadstone engraved with a number at the top. Long rectangle with arched top. Off-white and gray stone aggregate. Dimensions42.1249 x 10.5 x 3.25 in. (107 x 26.7 x 8.3 cm)InscriptionsEngraved at top: "573"
Historical NotesThis tombstone is from the Polk State Center. When Polk Center opened in 1897 it became the second institution in Pennsylvania built expressly to house and care for people with intellectual disabilities. The 2,000 acre site in rural Venango County allowed access to Pittsburgh via the railroad, but also isolated residents far from their families. Change in the care of people with disabilities over the past 100 years has influenced the lives of the residents and staff at Polk, as well as the surrounding community. This object is part of a collection that documents that important story. Label TextBoth an advocate for the disabled and the parent of a son with physical and intellectual disabilities, Ginny Thornburgh gave a name to those who had none. While serving as First Lady of Pennsylvania in 1985, she dedicated 1,450 headstones at Polk cemetery with names on them, replacing these numbered tombstones. When Polk Center opened in 1897 it became the second institution in Pennsylvania built expressly to house and care for people with intellectual disabilities. The 2,000 acre site in rural Venango County allowed access to Pittsburgh via the railroad, but also isolated residents far from their families. Change in the care of people with disabilities over the past 100 years has influenced the lives of the residents and staff at Polk, as well as the surrounding community. These rare collections document that important story.
Related institution
Polk State Center
(founded 1897)
On View
Not on view
American Safety Table Company
