PA School f/t Deaf history

Seixas served as principal of Pennsylvania School of the Deaf until October of 1821.

In March, 1822, the corps of instructors was further increased by the addition of Abraham B. Hutton, who thus began a connection with the school which extended over a period of nearly fifty years, and terminated only with his death.

In the first report of the Institution (1823) it appears that provisions were made for teaching the pupils cabinet making, shoemaking, coopering and weaving.

The new building was occupied in December, 1825, and on December 30 following a reception was held, at which there was a large attendance of distinguished people.

The new building afforded room for a much larger number of pupils than before, and in 1827, provisions having been made by the State Legislature, the Institution began to receive the indigent deaf children of Maryland.

In 1828 the Institution acquired the entire block bounded by Broad, Pine, Fifteenth and Asylum streets.

For several years the growth of the Institution was retarded by the smallness of the legislative appropriations, but in 1854 the State inaugurated a more liberal policy, and to accommodate the increased attendance the north and south wings were added to the central building.

In less than five years the building was crowded to its utmost capacity, and in 1859 the board of directors came to the conclusion that it would be advisable to sell the property at Broad and Pine streets and secure a site in the country, but within easy reach of the city.

In 1863, therefore, an additional story was added to the two wings in the rear.

Foster, resigned the position which he had so long and so honorably filled, and A. L. E. Crouter, who for a year preceding had acted as vice-principal, and who had been a teacher in the school since 1867, was appointed his successor.

On February 8, 1871, the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Institution was celebrated by a gathering of the graduates.

In spite of repeated enlargements, in 1875 it was found necessary to adopt some means to increase the capacity of the Institution, the number of pupils at that time being 225, and the number of applications for admission being far beyond the ability of the Institution to accept.

In 1881 the day-school was finally opened at Seventeenth and Chestnut streets, under charge of Miss Emma Garrett, who had been in the employ of the Institution as teacher of articulation for some time.

WPSD moved to the current location in Edgewood, east of Pittsburgh, in 1884.

In 1887 it was determined to discontinue the teaching of articulation to the pupils of manual classes, and at the present time the oral work of the school is carried on in a pure oral department, and a small oral class in connection with the manual department.

In 1889, the school’s Board of Directors bought a new school site in the neighborhood of Mount Airy.

Three years later in 1892, hearing impaired students began attending school at the new Mount Airy campus of Pennsylvania School for the Deaf.

Below is given a list of the officers, instructors and staff on March 1, 1893:

The school continued to receive sporadic public funds until 1927, at which time a reimbursement plan for instruction was proposed and accepted by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

During the 1950’s, preschool education and the practice of sharing information with parents became wide-spread.

In the 1960’s WPSD was awarded state accreditation for its high school program.

In the 1980’s several innovative projects were started, and with a new focus on the Total Communication approach, American Sign Language classes were taught in the evenings.

In 1984, The Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf moved the school to the former Germantown Academy campus at 100 West School House Lane and Greene Street in Germantown.