VSDB-S Pictures and History notes

** You can click on some pictures for a bigger view/version.  **

Please note that these pictures may be subject to copyright and below are for viewing purposes, not for sale.

 – VSDB-Hampton pictures would be appreciated!  If you have pictures of the campus, please contact webmaster via contact page –

Shovel used at the groundbreaking ceremony on May 19, 2010 to symbolize the consolidation of the two VSDB schools (Hampton and Staunton) together.

 

VSDB Rendering

Original proposal in 2004 that obviously failed. Source: https://www.vad.org/VSDB%20Feasibility%20Report%2012-01-04.pdf on page 45.
2011 rendering of proposed construction Source: https://www.bjuarchitects.com/?mies_portfolio=virginia-school-for-the-deaf-and-blind-staunton-virginia	2013 final rendering

2009 Aerial Pictures

Carter Hall windows gone prior to demolition, large parking area was for Kellstrom and Lee which also held construction materials, old maintenance building shown by loop before demolition also as the new maintenance building was built in lower right corner, playground area soon became a mess.A different view/angle of this picture can be found in Faithlyn Robinson’s VSDB Pictural book, page171.

 

2011 Aerial Pictures

Shows old maintenance building and Carter Hall gone now. Old Student Center and parking lot still standing prior to demolition (see top between trees next to Bradford Hall – Infirmary).  Darden Hall is still standing here (near the left side) and later is demolished to create a small parking area seen in 2013 pics.

Shows new school building (with frames shown) and Kiser Hall (with green walls) being built. The new Houser-Tyler Hall (blind dorm) is just being built by the Superintendent’s house (on top).

 

2012-3 Aerial Pictures

Old and new playground areas visible minus the old metal merry-go-round that was by The Stuart Building (formerly Stuart Hall) as the merry-go-rounds moved over closer to the blind dorm.  Do note the old playground was torn down eventually as the blacktop areas got a nice new playground which is green in the 2013 pictures below.  It should be noted that the 2nd floor of The Stuart Building was named the Blehm Library after Linda (Collins) Blehm passed away before her planned retirement after 41 years of teaching in 2017.	Shows Watts Hall under construction (upper left corner).
Another view showing nearly finished. You can see the blacktop/playground area mess still. Source: BJU Architects

 

2013 Aerial Pictures (Final!)

Obviously the old Kellstrom and Lee construction area is now gone! That area later became the VSDB Garden.  You also can see that Darden Hall is gone now where a new parking area between Healy and Abernathy Pool House are located.  Also note that the pool house later became a blind gym of sorts later on around 2019.

Same picture as the one on left but with a map labeling all the buildings. Do note that #12, Stuart Hall later became Blehm Hall.

 

Faithlyn Robinson, class of 1988, created a nice Prezi slide showing the years each building was constructed at https://prezi.com/lk0fyguamgbi/vsdb-staunton-virginia.

An older aerial picture (from 1960’s) can be found in Faithlyn Robinson’s VSDB Pictural book, pages 142-143.  Also a drawing of Staunton City in 1891 shows VSDB on pages 36-37.

 

VSDB Time Capsule

Buried in front of the Main Hall in 1989 and removed in 2014. The Staunton News Leader took pictures of the event, see https://www.newsleader.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2014/11/15/vsdb-unearths-time-capsule-after-25-years/19071727.

Buried under the main entrance to Yates-Shinpaugh Education Building in 2012 and is to be dug up in 2037.  (Currently unable to find any newspaper articles on this event as 2-3 reporters were present at the time.)

 

A blast from the past….

1. Richmond Times had an article on VSDB on March 17, 1912.  See https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=15699726&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjE0NjY0NzA1NywiaWF0IjoxNjQ4OTI4NDM3LCJleHAiOjE2NDkwMTQ4Mzd9.1RYSTBrImdIqRe4JfPE38hTOFfJCK68fydJjPFcB-P0.
2. Eagle Scouts (early scouting years), see https://historyofscoutingva.wordpress.com/2020/12/12/five-deaf-eagle-scouts-in-virginia.
3. A number of items are listed in the APH musuem including VSDB-H, https://aphmuseum.org/the-collection/?fwp_search_collection=deaf%20school%20virginia.
4. Gallaudet Archives has some VSDB-H pictures @1950-51 (oddly no pictures for Staunton campus) and one picture on Cobbs school – the archives also has other references of interest, https://gaislandora.wrlc.org/islandora/search/Virginia%20school?type=edismax&cp=gaislandora%3A80639.
5. NTID/RIT Archives – did not find anything so if you do, let us know, https://www.rit.edu/archives/ritntid-deaf-studies-archive.
6. International Archives list (feel free to find references and share with us), https://www.deafhistoryinternational.com/archives-collections.
7. VSDB-S yearbooks (partial – 1969-1982, which apparently are referenced to the Staunton Library nearby), https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Virginia+School+for+the+Deaf+and+Blind%22.
8. 1982 VSDB-H archive (not captioned), https://www.wavy.com/wavy-archives/wavy-archive-1982-hampton-virginia-school-for-the-deaf-and-blind.
9. Site of former Hampton School for the deaf and blind could become home to industrial warehouses (requires subscription and if you have a copy of this, please share)
10. The Virginia Guide (aka: VSDB Newsletter), 1908-2012 can be found at https://virginiachronicle.com/?a=cl&cl=CL1&sp=VGD&e=——-en-20–1–txt-txIN——–.