The Manchester Infants School for the Deaf and Dumb. Old Trafford

MANCHESTER SCHOOL FOR THE INFANT DEAF AND DUMB – LAYING THE CORNER STONE – The corner stone of this new institution intended to be in connection with the Deaf and Dumb School, Old Trafford, was laid yesterday at the rear of the parent school, by Mr Thomas Turner.

The foundation stone of this erection, to provide for the accommodation and the moral and intellectual training of 50 infant deaf mutes – the first school of its kind in the United Kingdom – was laid by the originator, Thomas Turner Esq FRCS (for 36 years past honorary surgeon to the parent institution) on the 8th day of August, in the year of our Lord 1859. Building Committee Ernest Reuss, chairman; Thomas Turner FRCS, Henry Nixson, Thomas Redfern, Andrew Sterling, Alexander Oliver, John Hacking. Hon Secretary Rev Thomas Buckley MA. Architect and surveyor: James Redford. Builders Bowman, Edwards and Forster.

The new schools for which the builders’ contract somewhat exceeds £4,700, will be assimilated as nearly as possible in exterior to the Tudor style of the time of Henry VIII, which was adopted for the main building. It will cover an area of 577 yards; and it will comprise sheltered play-rooms in the lower storey, over which will be a schoolroom, 40 feet by 25 feet; dining hall 29 feet by 20 feet; boys dormitory, 40 feet by 25 feet; girls’ dormitory, 48 feet 6 inches by 20 feet; and all other necessary rooms and conveniences. The dormitories will afford 70 cubic feet of space for each child; and strict attention will be paid to means of ventilation. [Manchester Guardian 9 August 1859 page 3]

SCHOOL FOR THE INFANT DEAF AND DUMB, MANCHESTER. - THIS erection, the foundation stone of which was laid on the 8th August. 1859, was opened with due ceremony, on Wednesday last. The building was erected by Messrs Bowden, Edward and Forster, from designs by Mr James Redford, at a cost of £4,719. It is creditable to both architect and builder that the cost did not exceed the original estimate. The situation is at Old Trafford, adjoining the Botanic Gardens, in the rear of the main institution, abutting beyond the left wing, so that the front of the edifice is visible from the road, forming a detached addition, connected by a covered way. The structure is assimilated in the exterior, as nearly as possible to the Tudor style, of the time of Henry VIII which was adopted for the main building. The facade is of "Summit" stone, simple, substantial, and plain. It covers an area of 577 yards, although, from the form of the site, a frontage of 60 feet only could be obtained. It comprises sheltered play‑grounds, in the lower story, over which is a school‑room 40 feet by 25 feet; dining‑hall, 29 feet. by 20 feet; boys' dormitory, 40 feet by 25 feet.; girls= dormitory, 48 feet 6 inches by 20 feet; sick ward, lavatories, committee‑room, nurse's‑rooms (divided from the infants by a glass partition), apartments for the housekeeper, domestic .servants, etc. The principal rooms are upon piers, as recommended in hospital construction; the staircases are fireproof, and especial attention has been paid to ventilation - the dormitories (with open‑timbered roof), giving 800 cubic feet of space to each bed. The dining‑hall and school‑room have low pressure hot‑water circulation, in addition to fireplaces and dwarf wainscotting - in the latter room the panels are formed of slate, upon which the children are taught their lessons. The walls are of seconds bricks, painted in the dining‑hall and school‑room, and lime-washed in the dormitories. The woodwork (including exposed carpentry, beams, joists, bridging, spars, boarding, and principals) is of pine, stained and varnished.

It is not often our space will allow us to comment on the uses of any particular building, but we are tempted in this instance into a few words of commendation. We are glad to see a step taken in the right direction, and that it has been taken in a city capable of carrying out to the fullest extent any idea, when once it has taken a hold on the public ear and sympathy. Children are most susceptible of cultivation when very young, more particularly in the case of the poor deaf mutes, who are not generally deficient in mental ability, though their minds become early deadened by seclusion and neglect, rendering their training at a more advanced age a matter of great difficulty. Believing what we have said of children's susceptibilities to be strictly correct - and also bearing in mind the class of children for whose especial interest this institution has been erected, we trust that this is only the first of a long series of such buildings. We have only room further to note the remark of Mr E Reuss, at the inaugural ceremony - that the fact of their being no "extras" added to the contract was most creditable to Mr. Redford, the architect, Afor it was a rare exception.@ [Building News 5 October 1860 page 764]

INFANT SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB, NEAR MANCHESTER - Considerable efforts are being made at this moment, in the metropolis and elsewhere, in favour of the deaf and dumb; a movement in the success of which we feel much interested. A few weeks ago an institution for the reception and education of deaf and dumb infants was opened at Old Trafford. It is said to be the only one of the kind in the world. The Rev. Canon Clifton, in opening the proceedings, said a school for the infant deaf and dumb was an entirely new idea: similar institutions did not admit children under eight years old, while here they would be received between the ages of three and seven. Children are most susceptible of cultivation when very young; and this was particularly true of deaf mutes, who were not generally deficient in mental ability, but their minds became early deadened by seclusion and neglect. This institution, therefore, supplied a very great want. There would be accommodation ultimately for fifty children. Already more applicants had appeared than could be accommodated, so anxious were the parents of these unfortunate little ones to use the institution. There had been raised for the Institution the large sum of £11,500. Of this amount £4,500 was obtained in donations, and the unexampled sum of £7,000 had, thanks to the ladies, been raised by a bazaar.

The structure, of which we give views, was built by Messrs. Bowden, Edwards, & Forster from the designs of Mr. J. Redford, at a cost of £4,709, and is situate at Old Trafford, adjoining the Botanic Gardens. The site selected is in the rear of the present institution, but abuts beyond the left wing, so that the front of the edifice is visible from the road forming a detached addition connected by a covered way. The foundation stone (as noticed by us at the time) was laid on the 8th August, 1859, by Mr. Thomas Turner, F.R.C.S., the originator of the school. The structure is assimilated in exterior to the Tudor style of the time of Henry VIII, which was adopted for the main building. The facade is of “Summit” stone. It covers an area of 577 yards, although from the circumscribed form of the land a frontage of only twenty yards could be obtained. It comprises sheltered playgrounds in the lower story, over which is a schoolroom 40 feet by 25 feet, dining-hall 29 feet by 20 feet, boys’ dormitory 40 feet by 25 feet, girls’ dormitory 48 feet 6 inches by 20 feet, sick ward, lavatories, committee-room, nurses’ rooms(divided from the infants’ by a glass partition), apartments for the housekeeper, domestic servants, etc. The principal rooms are upon piers: the staircases are fire-proof: the dormitories, with an open-timbered roof, give 800 cubic feet of space to each bed. The dining-hall and schoolroom have low-pressure hot-water circulation in addition to fireplaces, and dwarf wainscoting: to the latter room the panels are formed of slate, upon which the children are taught their lessons. The walls are of seconds bricks, painted in the dining-hall and schoolroom, and lime-washed in the dormitories. The woodwork (including exposed carpentry, beams, joists, bridging, spars, boarding, and principals) is stained pine varnished. [Builder 10 November 1860 page 719]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 9 August 1859 page 3- foundation stone
Reference    Builder 20 August 1859
Reference    Manchester Guardian 27 September 1860 page 3
Reference    Building News 5 October 1860 page 764
Reference    Builder 10 November 1860 page 719
Reference    Builder 10 November 1860 page 720 – view of entrance front and dormitory