Jacobs Hall, Kentucky School for the Deaf - Danville KY
Posted by: 
nomadwillie
N 37° 38.523 W 084° 46.276
16S E 696636 N 4168437
Jacobs Hall is the main buiding for the Kentucky School for the Deaf, established as the first publicly funded institution in the US for deaf students.
Waymark Code: WMEP1F
Location: Kentucky, United States
Date Posted: 06/21/2012
Views: 5
Jacobs Hall stands near the center of the campus of the Kentucky Shcool for the Deaf in Danville, KY. Of the 18 buildings on the 175 acre campus, Jacobs Hall is the oldest building. The hall was begun in 1855 and completed in 1857. The architcet was Thomas Lewinski and builder was John McMurtry. It is a brick building four stories high. Few changes have been made to the exterior of Jacobs Hall over the years. While substantial changes have been made to the interior, it still retains the original character.
The Kentucky School for the Deaf, was established in 1823 and was the first publicly supported institution of the education of the deaf in the US. Formal education for the deaf began in 1817 by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet in Hartford, CT. They were privately financed. The first institution in the US to be publicly supported was the Kentucky School for the Deaf, established in 1823.
Initially the buildings to support the KSD were started in 1822. Jacobs Hall was built for the expanding student body. John Quincy Adams and Martin Van Buren were some individuals that donated funds for the building of the school. Upon Jacobs Hall completion, it housed all of the school's major functions.
Today KSD has around 400 students and Jacob Hall is still in active use at the school.
Street address:
S. 3rd St.
Danville, KY
County / Borough / Parish: Boyle
Year listed: 1966
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event
Periods of significance: 1850-1874
Historic function: Education
Current function: Education
Privately owned?: no
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 1: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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