Civil Rights: American School for the Deaf Founders Memorial - Hartford, CT

American School for the Deaf

Founders Memorial

Hartford, CT

N 41° 46.098 W 072° 41.131

Short Description: 

American School for the Deaf Founders Memorial is located between Farmington Avenue, Asylum Avenue and Broad Street in Hartford.

Long Description:

Located in a busy traffic triangle in Hartford is a 9' by 3' by 2.5' bronze statue on a 3' by 4' x 2' granite base that honors the founders of the American School for the Deaf, the first school for the deaf in the United States which was originally located on Asylum Street in Hartford. The sculpture was created by Frances Laughlin Wadsworth and cast at the Bedi-Rassy Art Foundry. It was dedicated on April 15, 1953.

A 9' high figure of Alice Cogswell, the first student at the American School for the Deaf and daughter of one of the founders, Mason Fitch Cogswell, is standing between the palms of a pair of 4' high, cupped, upraised hands which are touching at the thumbs. She is wearing a frock dress and looking slightly to her left. Her right hand is outstretched and touching the right cupped hand. In her left hand she is clutching an open book to her chest. Her dress bulges slightly at the right knee. Below is an open book and a quill pen.

The front of the base is inscribed:

COMMEMORATING THE FOUNDERS OF THE

AMERICAN SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF

AMERICA'S PIONEER INSTITUTION FOR THE HANDICAPPED

AT HARTFORD APRIL 15, 1817

THOMAS HOPKINS GALLAUDET

MASON FITCH COGSWELL    LAURENT CLERC

DEDICATED BY THE

NEW ENGLAND GALLAUDET ASSOCIATION OF THE DEAD

TO EXPRESS THE GRATITUDE OF THE DEAF OF THE NATION

APRIL 15, 1953

The back of the statue is inscribed:

INCORPORATORS OF THE FIRST SCHOOL FOR THE

DEAF IN AMERICA, HARTFORD, MAY 1816.

{DOUBLE COLUMN LIST OF 63 NAMES}