Learn about Ohio Female College
Discover the Ohio Female College in College Hill, an institution opened in 1846 that championed women’s education. At this site, young women once pursued degrees in writing, chemistry, and geography. Providing an education equivalent to the all-male Farmers’ College, the original campus comprised three buildings on fifteen wooded acres and gardens. Students used a refracting telescope, chemistry lab, and well-appointed library in their work. Mary Jane Pyle (née Wilson), an ardent supporter of learning and widow of abolitionist minister George Pyle, dedicated her life to teaching Botany and serving as the college’s matron.
Rebuilt after a 1868 fire, the Ohio Female College closed permanently in 1871. It reopened in 1873 as the Cincinnati Sanitarium, the first psychiatric facility west of the Allegheny Mountains, and is now the site of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The Freeman Grant Cary/Pleasant Hill Academy Marker is across the street.
Related Article: Lucy Oxley, M.D., first African American graduate from the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine
The college’s Board of Trustees included U.S. Supreme Court Justice John McLean and Samuel F. Cary, underscoring its significance in the educational landscape. Prominent figures, including Liberty Party Presidential candidate James G. Birney, sent their daughters here for their education, with Florence Birney journeying from Michigan to attend.
Though the Ohio Female College was short-lived, its legacy endures as a historic site where educational and social equality made inroads.
Location
5651 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45224
Public Information and Further Reading
Today, it is the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The former building no longer stands. 5651 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45224 / Coordinates: 39° 11.639′ N, 84° 32.752′ W
The Colleges and Academies of College Hill Historical Marker
Related Article: Step Into History with the Freedom Journey App
About The Freedom Journey App
Follow Underground Railroad stories of courage along the Ohio River border with the GPS-mapped and historically accurate Freedom Journey App, filled with accredited content created by America’s River Roots in collaboration with the Cincinnati Museum Center and National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Speak the names of the abolitionists and Freedom Seekers risking everything for freedom.
This digital platform leads to the pivotal stories that honor those who, against all odds, pursued freedom. These brave souls and specific locations still have much to say.
Credit: All content and images courtesy of America’s River Roots. Used with permission. This content was created in full accreditation and partnership with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Cincinnati Museum Center. App content was authored by Holly Brians Ragusa
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