Smallville Orphanage
The Smallville Orphanage aka Smallville Orphan's Home
The orphanage, located in the town of Smallville, to which Jonathan and Martha Kent brought the infant Superman after finding him in an open field (Act No. 141, Feb 1950: "Luthor's Secret Weapon") on the outskirts of Smallville (WF No.57, Mar/Apr 1952: "The Artificial Superman!"; and others). While most texts refer to it as the Smallville Orphanage (Act No. 273, Feb 1961: "The World of Mr. Mxyzptlk!"; and others), at least one text calls it the Smallville Orphan's Home (S No. 161/1, May 1963: "The Last Days of Ma and Pa Kent!").
All accounts of Superman's origin agree that the Kents turned the infant Superman over to an orphan asylum (S No. 1/1, Sum 1939) or foundling home (S No. 53/1, Jul/Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman!") immediately after having found him. Accounts differ; however, on the question of whether the Kents decided to adopt the infant Superman immediately or whether they formulated these plans later. According to Superman No. 1/1, the Kents delivered the baby to the orphanage and then returned sometime later to adopt him only after discovering that they were unable to get the "sweet child" out of their minds (Sum 1939), but Superman No. 53 asserts that the Kents applied for adoption immediately and left the infant Superman at the orphanage only temporarily, long enough for their application to be properly investigated. The baby caused such pandemonium at the home with the unrestrained use of his super powers, continues this text, that the authorities rushed through the Kents' adoption in record time just so they could be rid of the problem infant (Jul/Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman!").
Most texts agree that the Kents decided to adopt the infant Superman the moment they found him (Act No. 158, Jul 1951: "The Kid from Krypton!"; and others). Indeed, the more recent texts state that the Kents, knowing they would be asked to explain the origins of the child if they merely kept him or if they delivered him to the foundling home in person, actually left the baby in a basket at the orphanage doorstep, as though he had been abandoned there, so that they could appear at the orphanage the following day (S No. 130/3, Jul 1959: "The Town That Hated Superman!"), or several days later (S No. 146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"), to adopt him for their own (but see SB No. 133, Oct 1966: "Superbaby's First Foster Parents" for the story of Deacon and Millie Dugan). Each year, Superman puts on a spectacular performance of super-feats for the orphanage's youngsters (Act No. 273, Feb 1961: "The World of Mr. Mxyzptlk!").
