Sarah A. Reed (March 16, 1838 – January 27, 1934) was a philanthropist and novelist from Erie, Pennsylvania.

Sarah A. Reed
BornMarch 16, 1838 Edit this on Wikidata
Ashtabula Edit this on Wikidata
DiedJanuary 27, 1934 Edit this on Wikidata (aged 95)

Early life

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Sarah Ann Reed was born on March 16, 1838 in Ashtabula, Ohio, the eighth child of William Wyndham Reed, Secretary-Treasurer of the Erie Canal, and Elizabeth H. (Smith) Reed. Her family relocated to Erie when she was seven years old.[1][2][3]

Philanthropy and writing

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Reed's most prominent philanthropic effort was the Erie Home for the Friendless social service agency, founded in 1871 by Reed and 29 other women.[4] Reed served as president of the Home for the Friendless for over forty years.[1][2][3] She also held a well-attended class in her house that covered a wide range of topics,[5] with more than 1000 people attending classes over the years.[6]

Reed wrote a number of novels. One was a work of historical fiction, A Romance of Arlington House (1908), which was printed in multiple editions.[5] It is an epistolary novel told from the point of view of Virginia Colton, a visitor to Arlington House in 1824, and includes appearances by Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette and Robert E. Lee.[7]

Sarah A. Reed died on 27 January 1934.[8] After her death the Home for the Friendless was renamed the Sarah A. Reed Home, a name she would not allow while she was alive.[6]

Selected publications

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  • Reed, Sarah A. (1890). "The belated passenger | WorldCat.org". Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  • Reed, Sarah A. (1900). After fifty years, or, The story of two love letters | WorldCat.org. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  • Reed, Sarah A. (1908). A romance of Arlington house. Retrieved 2024-04-17.[9]
  • Reed, Sarah A. (1931). My grandmother's story and other stories | WorldCat.org. Retrieved 2024-04-17.

References

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  1. ^ a b Burke, James (1942-12-31), Biddle, Gertrude Bosler; Lowrie, Sarah Dickinson (eds.), "Sara A. Reed (1838–1934)", Notable Women of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Press, pp. 197–198, doi:10.9783/9781512814477-128, ISBN 978-1-5128-1447-7, retrieved 2023-07-02
  2. ^ a b Cicchetti, Geri (March 16, 2022). "What's in a name? If the name is Sarah A. Reed, it's a legacy of caring". Hagen History Center. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  3. ^ a b Who was who in America : a companion biographical reference work to who's who in america. Chicago, IL: Marquis-Who's Who. 1976. p. 1017.
  4. ^ Lewis, Emma Rose (2020-03-17). "Sarah A. Reed". YourErie.Com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2020. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  5. ^ a b Chapple, Joe Mitchell (January 1925). "Affairs at Washington". National Magazine. Vol. 53, no. 6. pp. 243–244.
  6. ^ a b Our hidden heritage : Pennsylvania women in history. Washington, D.C.: Pennsylvania Division, American Association of University Women. 1983. pp. 243–244. ISBN 978-0-9611476-0-0.
  7. ^ Kaser, James A. (2006). The Washington, D.C. of fiction : a research guide. Lanham, Md.: The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5740-7.
  8. ^ "Erie's "Grand Old Lady" Passes On". Bradford Evening Star and The Bradford Daily Record. 1934-01-31. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  9. ^ Reviews of A Romance of Arlington House