ELMCREST

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ELMCREST
INCORPORATED MAY 10, 1845
AS ORPHAN ASYLUM TO PROTECT,
RELIEVE AND EDUCATE AT RISK
CHILDREN. IN 1945, RENAMED
ELMCREST CHILDREN’S CENTER.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2025

In 1841, a group of women in Syracuse, New York formed a benevolent society with the goal of providing relief to local orphaned children, raising funds to support educational efforts. Eventually, the group desired to provide a home for these children.

On May 10, 1845, the Syracuse Orphan Asylum was officially incorporated “for the purpose of protecting, relieving, and educating orphans and destitute children in the village of Syracuse, and its vicinity.” Upon its opening, 15 children were provided with a home, 10 boys and five girls, who had been previously living in the county poor house. The asylum was managed by 11 trustees, chosen by members of the association. In its first annual report, it was recorded that 50 children were admitted to the asylum during the first year of operation. According to the report, the asylum received 50 cents per week for each child from the county, along with funds derived from annual subscribers, who paid one dollar each. During the first year, the total number of subscribers was just under 200. In April 1847, the name was officially changed to the Onondaga County Orphan Asylum.

At its 50^th anniversary celebration in 1895, Andrew Dickson White, one of the founders of Cornell University who was raised in Syracuse, recounted how the asylum had provided care for about 4,000 children over the previous “fifty years of faith, hope and charity.” In the early 20^th century, the asylum would come to be known as the Onondaga Orphans Home. Over the years, the home was relocated several times. It finally moved to its location on Salt Springs Road in 1922. In 1945, on its 100^th anniversary, it was renamed Elmcrest Children’s Center.

As of 2025, Elmcrest continues its mission of serving Syracuse and the surrounding communities by “providing residential treatment, education, respite care, and early education programs, impacting over 2,800 children annually”

ELMCREST

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