Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind

The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind was established in Colorado Springs in 1874. It is the only school of its kind in the state. The school’s buildings were constructed largely in the early twentieth century. They were designed by local architect Thomas Barber and are united by a common Collegiate Gothic style. The school continues to serve deaf and blind students in Colorado through traditional on-campus education, outreach programs, and an instructional materials center.

In the United States, schools for the deaf started in the early nineteenth century. The first opened in Connecticut in 1817, and they spread rapidly in the later nineteenth century. When the Colorado Institute for the Education of Mutes opened in 1874, it was the thirty-sixth school for the deaf in the country.

Jonathan R. Kennedy, who had deaf children, had worked at a school for the deaf in Olathe, Kansas. He was the founder of the school. He came to Colorado in 1873. He gained the backing of Colorado’s territorial governor and convinced legislators to appropriate $5,000 to establish a State School for the Deaf. Colorado Springs was chosen as the site of the school. Colorado Springs city founder William Jackson Palmer donated ten acres of land east of downtown for the school’s campus.

The school opened its doors on April 8, 1874, in a rented house at the corner of Cucharras and Tejon Streets while the campus was under construction. Seven students occupied a two-story building with four rooms on each floor. In 1875 the school board commissioned a school building on the land Palmer had donated. It was located at the corner of East Pikes Peak Avenue and Institute Street. By 1876 the first Administration Building was completed and the school moved to its new home.

The first two decades were a period of growth and change. The campus added four and a half acres of donated land. It had several additions, including an expanded Administration building, a school building, a girls’ hall and a vocational building. None of these early buildings are still standing.

The school was opened to blind students in 1877 and changed its name to the Colorado Institute for the Deaf and the Blind. It adopted its current name in the 1890s. The school taught a variety of subjects and vocational skills to a mix of residential and day students.

Local architects Thomas Barber, Elmer Nieman, and Edward Bunts helped define the look of the campus in the 1900s. Early buildings were in a Victorian style that combined elements of classical, Gothic, and Romanesque architecture. Later additions were in the Collegiate Gothic style. These buildings are like others on American college campuses developed around the same time. They have steeply pitched roofs, arched doorways, and plentiful windows. In the 1950s and 1960s, the school moved away from the Collegiate Gothic design to more modern buildings.

Enrollment at the school peaked at about 350 students in the 1970s, but started to decline after 1975, as Colorado school boards started to fund programs for deaf and blind students at public schools. Today the school serves nearly 250 residential and day students, plus more than 300 children in its infant and toddler program.

Established in in Colorado Springs in 1874, the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind teaches students with hearing and vision disabilities. It is the only school of its kind in the state. The school’s buildings were built in the early 1900s, and it continues to serve deaf and blind students in Colorado.

In the United States, schools for the deaf started in the early nineteenth century. The first opened in Connecticut in 1817, and they spread rapidly in the late 1800s. When Colorado’s school opened in 1874, it was the thirty-sixth school for the deaf in the country.

Jonathan Kennedy, a father of deaf children, founded the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind. He had worked at a school for the deaf in Olathe, Kansas, and came to Colorado in 1873. He gained the backing of Colorado’s territorial governor. They convinced legislators to allot $5,000 to establish a State School for the Deaf. Colorado Springs was chosen as the site of the school. William Jackson Palmer, the city’s founder, donated ten acres of land for the school’s campus.

The school opened its doors on April 8, 1874. It was called the “Colorado Institute for the Education of Mutes.” In its first years, school was held in a rented house at the corner of Cucharras and Tejon Streets. The permanent school buildings were under construction. Seven students attended the school. In 1875 the first building went up on the land Palmer had donated. By 1876 the first Administration building was completed, and the school moved to its new home.

The next two decades were a period of growth and change. The campus added four and a half acres of donated land. It built new buildings, including a new Administration building, a classroom building, a girls’ dormitory, and a vocational building. None of these early buildings are still standing.

The school was opened to blind students in 1877 and changed its name to the Colorado Institute for the Deaf and the Blind. It adopted its current name, Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, in the 1890s. The school taught students a variety of subjects and work-related skills. It was a mix of residential and day students.

Local architects Thomas Barber, Elmer Nieman, and Edward Bunts helped define the look of the campus in the 1900s. Like other campus buildings across the country, buildings at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind have steeply pitched roofs, arched doorways, and plentiful windows.

Enrollment at Colorado School for Deaf and the Blind peaked at about 350 students in the 1970s, but started to decline after 1975, as Colorado school districts started to fund programs for deaf and blind students at public schools. Today the school serves nearly 250 residential and day students, plus more than 300 children in its infant and toddler program.

The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind teaches students with hearing and vision disabilities. It was built in Colorado Springs in 1874. It is the only school of its kind in Colorado. The school still serves deaf and blind students in Colorado.

Jonathan R. Kennedy founded the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind. He was a father of deaf children. He came to Colorado in 1873. He asked Colorado’s territorial government to start a school for the deaf. He was given $5,000 to start the school.

Colorado Springs was chosen as the site of the school. The founder of Colorado Springs was William Jackson Palmer. He gave the school ten acres of land.

The school opened in 1874. It was called the “Colorado Institute for the Education of Mutes.” During its first years, classes were held in a rented house. The school was still being built. By 1876 the new school building was complete and the school moved to its new home.

Over the next twenty years the school grew. It got more donated land. New buildings were added. These included new offices, a girls’ hall, and a vocational building.

The school was opened to blind students in 1877. In 1890 it was renamed the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind. The school taught academics and work skills. Some students lived at the school. Others came to the school each day.

The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind has a beautiful campus. Early buildings were in a Victorian style. Later they were in the Collegiate Gothic style. Many college campuses were built in this style. These buildings have steep roofs, arched doorways, and a lot of windows.

About 350 students went to the school in the 1970s. By 1975 fewer students went to the school, because the deaf and blind students had started to go to their local public schools. Today about 250 students attend the school. It also has 300 children in its infant and toddler program.