National Register of Historic Places

Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
May 8, 1985
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
85000999

About this property

The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf is the third-oldest school of its kind in the United States. Its founder, David G. Seixas (1788–1864), was a Philadelphia crockery maker-dealer who became concerned with the plight of impoverished deaf children who he observed on the city's streets. The current school building is listed by the National Register of Historic Places, and two former campuses are similarly recognized. It is one of four approved chartered schools—along with the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children, the Overbrook School for the Blind, the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf—in Pennsylvania. The school has EIN 23-1581227 as a 501(c)(3) Public Charity. Its official mission is "The Pennsylvania School for the Deaf educates students to succeed by recognizing and developing individual strengths, building confidence, collaborating with families and communities in a nurturing, dynamic, and language-rich environment steeped in cultural awareness of Deaf, Hearing, and worldwide diversity." In 2024, it claimed total revenue of $21,839,366 and total assets of $55,059,525.

Location

7500 Germantown Ave.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
40.06398, -75.19584

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Mt. Airy Station
Industrial
0.3 mi
Houston, Henry H., School
Industrial
0.3 mi
Grace Church, Mt. Airy
Industrial
0.4 mi
Colonial Germantown Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Colonial
0.4 mi
Wissahickon Inn
Industrial
0.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown — Chew House
1777Revolutionary War
1.3 mi
Battle of Germantown
1777Revolutionary War
1.7 mi
Battle of Germantown (approach actions)
1777Revolutionary War
2 mi
Battle of Whitemarsh
1777Revolutionary War
3.8 mi
Battle of Barren Hill (Pennsylvania)
1778Revolutionary War
3.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb listed on the National Register?

Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 8, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb?

Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb?

The period of significance for Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf and Dumb is recorded as the listed era.

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