BIRTHDATE: 1827
BIRTHPLACE: North Carolina
EDUCATION: Unknown
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Parents,
Polly Simmons, a slave, and her master. In 1848 Polly Simmons was freed
and moved north with her family, purchasing a home in Cleveland, Ohio
with funds from her master.
DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Eliza Bryant was active in the movement to welcome and assist African
Americans to the Cleveland area, particularly those moving from the
southern states. Through this work she learned of the special needs
of elderly blacks left alone due to slavery. Existing facilities denied
access to African Americans and so, Bryant, with the aid of Sarah Green
and Lethia Flemming, began the work of establishing a home for aged
blacks around 1893. In January, 1895 a board of trustees was named and
the Cleveland Home for Aged Colored People opened on August 11, 1897.
Bryant married and had several children.
DATE OF DEATH: May 13, 1907
PLACE OF DEATH: Cleveland,
Ohio. She is buried in Woodland Cemetary.
PORTRAYED BY: Sherrie
Tolliver
PUBLICATIONS:
The Dictionary of Cleveland Biography. David V. Van Tassel, ed., Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis, 1996. p.70-71.
Eliza Bryant entry in The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. David V. Van Tassel, ed., Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis, 1996. pp. 384-385.
The Eliza Bryant Home Records, held at the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio.
Held in Cleveland Public Library:
Cleveland Home for Aged Colored People. 1985 Commemorative Program: To Commemorate 89 Years of Commitment and Service to the Elderly. Cleveland, Ohio; [1985].
Annual report of the Cleveland Home for Aged Colored People. Author: Cleveland Home for Aged Colored People. Published: Cleveland, Ohio: The Home, 1896?-
Historical Sketch and Financial Report of the Cleveland Association of the Home for Aged Colored People and the Men's Auxiliary to the Home, from July 1893 to July 1908. Author: Cleveland Home for Aged Colored People. Published: Cleveland, 1908? 12p.
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