Blind Department Building and Dow Hall, State School for the Blind

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Blind Department Building and Dow Hall, State School for the Blind
Minnesota State Academy for the Blind.jpg
The Blind Department Building – originally the home of Alexander Faribault – built in 1856
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Location Faribault, Minnesota
Coordinates 44°17′12.02″N93°15′36.21″W / 44.2866722°N 93.2600583°W / 44.2866722; -93.2600583
Built1874
ArchitectWaite & Kingsley; Monroe & Shiere
Architectural style Classical Revival, French Second Empire
NRHP reference No. 90001092 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 25, 1990
Removed from NRHPNovember 7, 2016

Blind Department Building and Dow Hall, State School for the Blind were two buildings that were part of the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, a public school administered by the state in Faribault, Minnesota, United States. The two structures, Dow Hall and the Blind Department Building, were significant components of a system of state-administered special education for the physically and mentally disabled segments of the population. [2] Both buildings have been demolished, and their listing was removed from the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. [3]

Contents

Blind Department building

Alexander Faribault moved into his impressive Second Empire home on the east side of the Straight River in 1856. In 1874, the home was sold to the state to house the State School for the Blind. [4]

Dow Hall

Memorial preserving the Dow Hall foundation Dow Hall, State School for the Blind.jpg
Memorial preserving the Dow Hall foundation

Dow Hall (1883) was built specifically to house the School for the Blind. The building's construction was indicative not only that education was worthwhile for people with disabilities, but also that differing disabilities required programs tailored to the students' specific needs. [5] [6] [7]

The building was demolished some time after 1996 due to potential safety hazards. The legislation authorizing the demolition specified that a historical marker must be placed at the site with artifacts of the historic building. The stonework of the ground floor of the foundation is visible at the site. [8]

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The Bonde Farmhouse is a historic farmhouse located in Wheeling Township in Rice County, Minnesota, United States, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from Nerstrand. The private home was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on April 6, 1982. The farmhouse is significant both for its association with a prominent Norwegian immigrant family as well as its local limestone construction and outstanding integrity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles N. Daniels (architect)</span> American architect

Charles N. Daniels (1828-1892) was an American architect active in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batchelder's Block</span> United States historic place

Batchelder's Block is the second-oldest surviving commercial building in Faribault, Minnesota, United States; constructed in 1868. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 for having local significance in the themes of architecture and commerce. It was nominated for its associations with Faribault's early commercial development and the city's emergence as a regional commercial center, and for being a well-preserved example of Faribault's early commercial architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faribault Viaduct</span> United States historic place

The Faribault Viaduct is a reinforced concrete highway bridge which carries Minnesota State Highway 60 over the Straight River in Faribault, Minnesota, United States.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. "FARIBAULT STATE SCHOOL AND HOSPITAL". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  3. "National Register of Historic Places Program: Weekly List". National Park Service. November 18, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  4. "Alexander Faribault's French house". Fascinating People of Early Faribault. City of Faribault Heritage Preservation Commission. 2003. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  5. Nord, Mary Ann (2003). The National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota . Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN   0-87351-448-3.
  6. "What Stories did State School Buildings Harbor?". Faribault Heritage Preservation Commission. Archived from the original on September 27, 2006. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  7. "Rice County Historical Setting and Resources" (PDF). Rice County. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 6, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  8. "Minnesota Session Laws 1996, Chapter 463, Section 6, Subd. 3". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes.