Gallaudet University
Who We Are
Our Work
Overview
News & Stories
Jan 26, 2023
Jan 19, 2023
Upcoming Events
November 11, 2022
November 17, 2022
November 19, 2022
University Wide Events
No Communication Compromises
Areas of Study
Schools
Programs
Changing the world
Research
Community & Innovation
Research Experiences & Services
Your Journey Starts Here
Study
Learn
Undergraduate Support
Information
Tools & Resources
Explore Our Campus
Connect
Discover
Influence
Dec 9, 2022
Quick Links
Winning, losing, and learning through sports
Together in the dorms: Community life at boarding school
Trades and Training for Boys
State School in an Expanding Nation
Segregated Schools in the post-war South
Lincoln signs act of congress to authorize Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind to confer degrees
Little Paper Family: Deaf students turn to newspapers and magazines
Home Skills – Training in sewing, cooking, and hairstyling
Home away from home: Schools for the Deaf
From Asylum to School: Families pool their resources
Family ties: Deaf children away at school get creative for writing to parents
Classroom learning for Deaf students
After school: Extracurricular activities at Gallaudet
A language shared by hand and heart: Laurent Clerc brings sign language from Paris
A solemn responsibility, a cup of consolation
GU
/
National Deaf Life Museum
Exhibits
History Through Deaf Eyes
Formation of a Community
A place of our own: the first permanent school for deaf children
In 1817, the first permanent school for deaf children opened in Hartford, Connecticut. At the time, most Americans still lived on farms or in small towns. The scattered population made it difficult to establish schools, especially for deaf children, who were few and far between. Because schools for deaf children had to serve such large areas, most were boarding schools. In these residential settings, a community of deaf people began to form.
In one of the earliest photos of the American School for the Deaf, Girls pose for the student picture in front of the “Old Hartford” building.
American School for the Deaf c. 1890s