Washington State School for the Blind

United States historic place

Washington State School for the Blind
Listed as Washington School for the Blind

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

U.S. Historic district

The school in 2013

Location| 2214 East 13th Street,
Vancouver, Washington
Coordinates| 45°38′24″N 122°38′46″W﻿ / ﻿45.64000°N 122.64611°W﻿ / 45.64000; -122.64611
Area| 13.2 acres (5.3 ha)
Built| 1911 (1911)
Architect| Julius Zittel
Architectural style| Classical Revival
NRHP reference No.| 93000370[1]
Added to NRHP| May 14, 1993
State School for Defective Youth, Vancouver, Washington, ca 1890

The Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB, ⠺⠎⠎⠃), formerly known as the Washington School for the Blind, is a school for visually-impaired, blind, or deaf-blind students, located in Vancouver, Washington in the United States. The school building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

## History

[edit]

In 1886, the Washington Territory Legislature established the State School for Defective Youth in Vancouver, Washington. The act established a "school for the deaf, mute, blind, and feeble minded".[2] Louis Sohns and Charles Brown raised money from local civic leaders, purchased property, and built buildings for the school. They were also added as trustees for the school.[3]

In 1891, School Director James Watson recommended that the "feeble minded" be separated from the blind and deaf students. They were relocated to another facility nearby. In 1906, the "feeble minded" were relocated to a state school at Medical Lake in Eastern Washington (now called Lakeland Village). The Vancouver school's name was changed to the State School for the Deaf and Blind, with the blind students moved to the former facility for the "feeble minded".[4]

In 1913, the two schools were officially separated by name, the State School for the Blind, and the State School for the Deaf.[4]

## Campus

[edit]

The school has dormitory facilities in cottages.[5]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

Jazz singer and pianist Diane Schuur, blind since birth from retinopathy of prematurity, attended the Washington State School for the Blind from ages four to seven, in the late 1950s to early 1960s. She lived in Vancouver at the school but was able to commute home by train to suburban Seattle on her own.[6] In her twenties, her talent was recognized by jazz musicians Dizzie Gillespie and Stan Getz. She has made over 20 albums including the Grammy-winning Diane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestra. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, The White House and the Kennedy Center.[7] Schuur was awarded the Helen Keller Achievement Award in 2000 by the American Foundation for the Blind.[8][9]

## Later history

[edit]

In 2008, the school hosted a "tactile museum of natural history" experience and fundraiser called Sensory Safari.[10] The event benefitted the Washington School for the Blind Foundation, which supports student activities and funds technology and equipment for the school.[10]

## See also

[edit]

* Blindness and education
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Clark County, Washington

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ "1886". Retrieved December 6, 2013.
3. ^ Fay, Edward Allen (1893). Histories of American Schools for the Deaf, 1817 - 1893. Volta Bureau (U.S.).
4. ^ a b "WSD History". Retrieved December 6, 2013.
5. ^ "Residential". Washington State School for the Blind. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
6. ^ Block, David (2002). "Two-Time Grammy Award Winning Singer Diane Schuur". blindfilmmaker.com. David Block. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
7. ^ "Diane Schuur performs at Kennedy Center to Honor Stevie Wonder – 22nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors, 1999". youtube.com. 1999. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
8. ^ "The American Foundation for the Blind Helen Keller Achievement Award Recipients". afb.org. American Foundation for the Blind. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
9. ^ Kimura, Donna. "Swingin' with Diane Schuur". jazzreview.com. Jazz Review. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
10. ^ a b Camin, Jim (September 3, 2008). "Washington School for the Blind offers tactile museum experience". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved November 17, 2013.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Community Planning: Washington State School for the Blind \- Clark County

* v
* t
* e

Schools for the blind in the United States

Public|

| Statewide|

* AL Inst f/t Deaf and Blind
* AZ State Schs f/t Deaf & Blind
* AR Sch f/t Blind & Visually Imp
* CA Sch f/t Blind
* CO Sch f/t Deaf & Blind
* FL Sch f/t Deaf & Blind
* GA Acad f/t Blind
* HI Sch f/t Deaf & the Blind
* ID Sch f/t Deaf and the Blind
* IL Sch f/t Visually Imp
* IN Sch f/t Blind & Vis Imp
* KS St Sch f/t Blind
* KY Sch f/t Blind
* LA Sch f/t Visually Imp
* MN St Acad f/t Blind
* MO Sch f/t Blind
* MS Sch f/t Blind
* MT Sch f/t Deaf & Blind
* Gov Morehead Sch (NC)
* ND Vision Services/Sch f/t Blind
* NE Ctr f/t Ed of Children who are Blind or Vis Imp
* NM Sch f/t Blind & Vis Imp
* NY St Sch f/t Blind
* OH St Sch f/t Blind
* OK Sch f/t Blind
* SC Sch f/t Deaf & the Blind
* SD Sch f/t Blind & Visually Imp
* TN Sch f/t Blind
* TX Sch f/t Blind & Visually Imp
* UT Schs f/t Deaf & the Blind
* VA Sch f/t Deaf & Blind
* WA St Sch f/t Blind
* WI Sch f/t Blind & Visually Imp
* WV Schs f/t Deaf & the Blind

| Closed|

* IA Braille & Sight Saving Sch
* MI Sch f/t Blind
* OR Sch f/t Blind
* TX Blind, Deaf, & Orphan Sch
* VA Sch f/t Deaf, Blind, & Multi-Disabled

|

Private|

* Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired
* Lavelle School for the Blind
* Maryland School for the Blind
* New York Institute for Special Education
* Overbrook School for the Blind

See also: Council of Schools for the Blind

* v
* t
* e

Public boarding schools in the United States

Schools for
blind & deaf|

* AL Inst f/t Deaf & Blind
* AZ State Schs f/t Deaf & Blind
* AR Sch f/t Blind & Visually Imp
* AR Sch f/t Deaf
* CA Sch f/t Blind
* CA Sch f/t Deaf, Fremont
* CA Sch f/t Deaf, Riverside
* CO Sch f/t Deaf & Blind
* DE Sch f/t Deaf
* FL Sch f/t Deaf & Blind
* GA Acad f/t Blind
* GA Sch f/t Deaf
* HI Sch f/t Deaf and the Blind
* ID Sch f/t Deaf and the Blind
* IL Sch f/t Deaf
* IL Sch f/t Visually Imp
* IN Sch f/t Blind & Vis Imp
* IN Sch f/t Deaf
* IA Sch f/t Deaf
* KS Sch f/t Deaf
* KS St Sch f/t Blind
* KY Sch f/t Blind
* KY Sch f/t Deaf
* LA Sch f/t Deaf
* LA Sch f/t Visually Imp
* MD Sch f/t Deaf
* MI Sch f/t Deaf
* MN St Acad f/t Blind
* MN St Acad f/t Deaf
* MO Sch f/t Blind
* MO Sch f/t Deaf
* MS Sch f/t Blind
* MS Sch f/t Deaf
* MT Sch f/t Deaf & Blind
* NC Sch f/t Deaf
* E NC Sch f/t Deaf
* Gov Morehead Sch (NC) f/t Blind
* ND Sch f/t Deaf
* ND Vision Services/Sch f/t Blind
* NE Ctr f/t Ed of Children who are Blind or Vis Imp
* Katzenbach (NJ) Sch f/t Deaf
* NM Sch f/t Blind & Vis Imp
* NM Sch f/t Deaf
* NY St Sch f/t Blind
* NY St Sch f/t Deaf
* OH St Sch f/t Blind
* OH Sch f/t Deaf
* OK Sch f/t Blind
* OK Sch f/t Deaf
* OR Sch f/t Deaf
* SC Sch f/t Deaf & the Blind
* SD Sch f/t Blind & Visually Imp
* TN Sch f/t Blind
* TN Sch f/t Deaf
* W TN Sch f/t Deaf
* TX Sch f/t Blind & Visually Imp
* TX Sch f/t Deaf
* UT Schs f/t Deaf & the Blind
* VA Sch f/t Deaf & Blind
* WA St Sch f/t Blind
* WA Sch f/t Deaf
* WI Sch f/t Blind & Visually Imp
* WI Sch f/t Deaf
* WV Schs f/t Deaf & the Blind

| Closed|

* IA Braille & Sight Saving Sch
* MI Sch f/t Blind
* Ctrl NC Sch f/t Deaf K-8
* NE Sch f/t Deaf
* OR Sch f/t Blind
* Scranton State Sch f/t Deaf (PA)
* SD Sch f/t Deaf (dorms closed in 2005, later closed entirely)
* TX Blind, Deaf & Orphan Sch
* VA Sch f/t Deaf, Blind, & Multi-Disabled
* WY Sch f/t Deaf

|

Dorms closed|

* Gov Baxter Sch f/t Deaf (ME)
* RI Sch f/t Deaf

Schools for
gifted &
talented|

* AL Sch of Fine Arts
* AL Sch of Math & Sci
* AR Sch for Math, Sci & Arts
* IL Math & Sci Acad
* IN Acad for Sci, Math & Humanities
* KS Acad of Math & Sci
* Craft Acad for Exc in Sci & Math (KY)
* Carol Martin Gatton Acad of Math & Sci in KY
* LA Sch for Math, Sci, & Arts
* ME Sch of Sci & Math
* MS Sch of the Arts
* MS Sch for Math & Sci
* MO Acad of Sci, Math & Comp
* NC Sch of Sci & Math
* U. of NC Sch of the Arts
* NM Sch f/t Arts
* OK Sch of Sci & Math
* SC Gov's Sch for the Arts & Humanities
* SC Gov's Sch for Sci & Math
* TX Acad of Leadership in the Humanities
* TX Acad of Math & Sci

Tribal/
Bureau of
Indian Education|

* Chemawa Indian (OR)
* Cheyenne-Eagle Butte (SD)
* Choctaw Tribal School System (MS)
* Circle of Nations (ND)
* Crow Creek Tribal (SD)
* Flandreau Indian (SD)
* Greyhills Academy HS (AZ)
* Hunters Point Boarding (AZ)
* Jones Acad (OK)
* Kaibeto Boarding (AZ)
* Lummi Nation (WA)
* Many Farms Community (former Chinle Boarding) (AZ)
* Many Farms HS (AZ)
* Marty Indian (SD)
* Navajo Prep (NM)
* Pierre Indian Learning Center (SD)
* Pine Hill Schs (Ramah Navajo) (NM)
* Pine Ridge School (SD)
* Riverside Indian (OK)
* Rough Rock Community (AZ)
* Santa Fe Indian (NM)
* Sequoyah HS (OK)
* Sherman Indian HS (CA)
* Shiprock Associated Schools, Inc. (NM)
* Shonto Prep HS (AZ)
* Tuba City Boarding (AZ)
* Wingate HS (NM)

| Closed|

* Albuquerque Indian School (NM)
* Carlisle Indian Industrial School (PA)
* Phoenix Indian School (AZ)

|

Dorms closed|

* Havasupai Boarding and Day School (AZ)
* Rock Point Community School (AZ)
* Northern Cheyenne Tribal School (MT)

Other|

* Alaska
* Galena Interior Learning Acad
* Nenana Student Living Ctr
* Mt. Edgecumbe HS
* California
* California Academy of Mathematics and Science (as of 1993)
* Connecticut
* Gilbert
* Woodstock Acad
* Hawaii
* Lahainaluna HS
* Michigan
* Taylor Int'l Dorm
* New York
* Randolph Academy UFSD Randolph Campus
* Oregon
* Crane Union
* Harper
* Huntington
* Mitchell
* Paisley
* Spray
* SEED Foundation (DC, Maryland, Miami, Los Angeles)

| Merged|

* New York: Hopevale UFSD

|

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