Ohio School for the Deaf

Side A: The Ohio School for the Deaf was established in 1829 by an act of the Ohio Legislature. Although the fifth school for the deaf in the country, it was the first school to be 100% funded by the state. The school first opened in a small rented building on the corner of Broad and High Streets. In 1834, construction of a permanent school was completed at the East Town Street location, now site of the Topiary Garden in Old Deaf School Park. It was there in 1869 that Ohio Governor Rutherford B. Hayes presided over the first commencement exercises in the nation for deaf students. By 1940, the school was overcrowded and the buildings were outmoded, leading to the purchase of 130 acres on Morse Road. The school at its current location opened on November 8, 1953. Side B: Same