The CLEVELAND FEMALE ORPHAN ASYLUM, inc. 3 Apr. 1837, was apparently a short-lived attempt to help orphaned young girls. It was established by a group of about 13 women from Trinity Church, including Laura Willey, Martha Kendall, and Sophia K. Ford, but its method of operation and length of existence are unclear. The Cleveland Female Orphan Asylum is mentioned in only the 1837 city directory; later directories list no other institutions specifically for orphans until the establishment of the Orphans' Asylum on St. Clair St. in 1852. Roderic H. Pierce's history of TRINITY CATHEDRAL mentions the Cleveland Female Orphan Asylum as the predecessor to the Trinity Church Home for the Sick & Friendless, established in Mar. 1856, but gives no further details.
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