You’ve probably driven past it on Euclid Avenue without a second thought. It’s a massive, sturdy brick structure that looks like a lot of other government buildings in Cleveland. But honestly, the Jane Edna Hunter Building at 3955 Euclid Ave isn't just another office block. It's a monument to a woman who arrived in this city with literally nothing—just a nickel and a prayer, as she famously put it—and ended up changing the entire social fabric of the North.
Most people today know it as the hub for the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services. It's where social workers scramble and families wait for news. But there is a deep, somewhat messy history here that connects the 1920s Great Migration to the modern-day struggles of the foster care system.
The Woman Behind the Name
Jane Edna Hunter was a powerhouse. Born to sharecroppers in South Carolina, she trained as a nurse and headed north to Cleveland in 1905. She thought her degree would get her a job. She was wrong. Because she was Black, no hospital would hire her. Even the local YWCA turned her away when she looked for a safe place to sleep.
Imagine that.
You’re educated, you’re capable, and the city basically tells you to go sleep in a brothel because that’s the only place that will take you. That’s exactly what happened to her. Instead of packing up and heading home, Hunter got mad. She gathered a group of friends and started the Working Girls Home Association in 1911.
It eventually became the Phillis Wheatley Association (PWA).
The original Jane Edna Hunter building (which she called the Phillis Wheatley House) wasn’t on Euclid. It was on Cedar Avenue. That nine-story "skyscraper" for Black women was a big deal in 1927. It had a cafeteria, a beauty school, and 135 rooms. It was a "Black YWCA" before such a thing was allowed to exist.
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Why the Current Jane Edna Hunter Building Is Different
The building we call the "Jane Edna Hunter Building" today—the one on Euclid—is actually the headquarters for the county’s social services. It was named after her to honor her legacy of child advocacy and social work.
It’s a bit of a heavy place.
If you walk inside, you’re not going to see museum exhibits or grand statues. You’re going to see the front lines of Cleveland’s social issues. It’s where the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) operates. In recent years, this building has been in the news for some pretty heartbreaking reasons.
During the "placement crisis" of the early 2020s, children who had nowhere else to go were actually living inside the Jane Edna Hunter Building. We’re talking about kids sleeping in office cubicles because foster homes were full. It sparked a massive outcry from groups like CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), who pointed out the irony: a building named after a woman who dedicated her life to safe housing was being used as a makeshift shelter for vulnerable kids.
A Legacy of Controversy (and Grit)
Hunter wasn't universally loved in her time. That's a part of the story people usually skip.
Some Black leaders in Cleveland actually fought her. They called her association a "Jim Crow hotel" because it was a segregated space. They felt that by building a separate home for Black women, she was "blessing" the idea that they weren't allowed in white spaces.
Hunter’s response? She was a pragmatist. She knew the white YWCA wasn't opening its doors anytime soon, and she wasn't going to let young girls sleep on the street while waiting for a revolution. She took money from white philanthropists—men like John D. Rockefeller—to get her buildings off the ground.
She played the game to win.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often confuse the names and locations of her buildings. Here’s the quick breakdown to keep it straight:
- The 1927 Building (Emeritus House): Located at 4450 Cedar Ave. This is the historic nine-story building Hunter actually built. Today, it’s mostly senior housing.
- The Jane Edna Hunter Social Services Center: Located at 3955 Euclid Ave. This is the county building. It wasn't built by Hunter, but it carries her name because her ghost essentially haunts the social work profession in Ohio.
- The Museum: There is a small Jane Edna Hunter Museum located at the Phillis Wheatley Center. It’s a quiet spot that keeps her personal papers and her story alive.
Why You Should Care in 2026
We’re still dealing with the same stuff she was fighting a century ago. Affordable housing? Still a nightmare. Safe spaces for young women? Still an issue. A foster care system that’s bursting at the seams? That’s literally what happens inside the Euclid Avenue building every day.
The Jane Edna Hunter Building serves as a reminder that social work isn't just about paperwork. It’s about the "nickel and a prayer" mentality—the idea that you start where you are, with what you have, and you refuse to be told "no."
Honestly, if you want to understand Cleveland, you have to understand the grit of Jane Edna Hunter. She was a lawyer (graduated from Baldwin-Wallace!), a nurse, and a master fundraiser. She showed the city that if the system won't build a door for you, you go out and buy the bricks yourself.
How to Engage With the Legacy
If you’re interested in more than just the architecture, here’s how to actually connect with this history:
- Visit the Emeritus House: Go see the 1927 structure on Cedar. It’s an architectural gem and a testament to Black excellence in the early 20th century.
- Support the PWA: The Phillis Wheatley Association is still active. They run programs for seniors and kids. They’re always looking for volunteers or donations.
- Advocate for DCFS: Since the Euclid building is the heart of child services, staying informed about foster care needs in Cuyahoga County is the best way to honor the building’s namesake.
- Read "A Nickel and a Prayer": It’s Hunter’s autobiography. It’s surprisingly modern and gives you a raw look at what Cleveland was like for a Black woman in 1905.
The building might just look like a block of brick and glass, but it’s actually a living piece of a much larger, much tougher story. It's about a woman who refused to stay in the place society carved out for her. That’s something worth remembering next time you're stuck in traffic on Euclid.
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To truly understand the impact of the Jane Edna Hunter Building, your next step should be to look into the current volunteer opportunities at the Phillis Wheatley Association or check the Western Reserve Historical Society for their digital archives on Hunter's early advocacy work in Cleveland.