"Inmates", as the folks who lived here were called, were expected to perform manual labor on a regular basis to compensate for their keep. On Occasion, the "Poorhouse Overseer" would reward the people with a token for their work well done. It was told to me by an old timer that the nuts seen here were this Overseers token, and the people decided to create a "family circle" with the nuts given them as they completed building the entry posts outside the main buildings. Ironic they should choose a complete circle, made of nuts, with one center nut...perhaps representing their higher power which gave them hope for "someday".