Sarah Ann Reed's Charitable Contributions to Erie

Abstract

Just a short walk from the main building of the beautiful Erie Cemetery lies the grave plot of the Reed Family, one of Erie’s founding families. The grave of Sarah Ann Reed (1838-1934) at first glance can be easily missed. However, a closer look reveals a tombstone sculpted with a small cross, modest and Christian in its design, much like Sarah’s personality. Her lifetime of involvement in civic philanthropy helped those desperately needing care. This included the sick, the old, and poor children. Sarah, like many wealthy elites, was concerned about the growing disparity between the rich and the poor. She was not alone in this respect. She, along with a group of her friends and acquaintances, set out to help those individuals who needed care by founding such charitable institutions are the Erie Home for the Friendless in 1871.