A stroll across the campus of the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind is enough for anybody to recognize its significance to the state of Colorado.

Sitting on 23 acres of land donated by the founder of Colorado Springs, Gen. William Jackson Palmer, the sprawling campus has built, demolished, remodeled, and repurposed multiple structures since it was founded in 1874 and serves as a distinctive example of architecture from decades gone by.

In many cases, as the school’s space and needs changed, many of the existing materials were repurposed.

Modern amenities such as air conditioning, elevators and security systems have been added as needed over the past century, but the historic structures and aesthetic have remained. 

School Superintendent Tera Spangler said the commitment to preservation is an indicator of the school’s historical value and what it means to its alumni.

“A big part of deaf culture and deaf identity is connected to storytelling,” she said. “Deaf people value stories. They value passing those stories down from generation to generation. So it could be that we need something to connect those stories to, that visual, to cement that story.”

Now, the school that is older than the state in which it stands is one step closer to being added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Colorado Historic Preservation Review Board unanimously recommended that the school be added to the National Register during its meeting Jan. 16. 

Since 1966, the National Register of Historic Places has identified buildings and areas that should be preserved as a piece of local history. More than 90 locations in El Paso County are currently included on the register. 

The school’s architecture includes Collegiate Gothic and Mid-Century Modern style, the former built in 1876, the latter in 1969. The Gothic buildings are made of Castle Rock rhyolite and Manitou sandstone, shaped into buttresses and recessed entrances and other characteristics common to the style.

Because of the age of the buildings and the local population served, the school was contacted by History Colorado in 2025 to pursue an application for the National Register.

Research fellow Layla Anzelc-Tolian said that they reached out to them as part of the Colorado Heritage for All initiative, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood.

Colorado Heritage for All seeks to identify 150 currently unrecognized spaces and places that tell the stories of underrepresented communities in the state, including people of color, women and LGBTQ+ and add them to the state Register of Historic Places by the end of the year.

The School for the Deaf and the Blind already is on the state register, but Anzelc-Tolian said they are also pursuing National Register status, if the buildings qualify, and provide assistance in the research and application process.

Besides its architecture, the school is notable for being the first institution to serve deaf and blind students in Colorado.

“I’ve lived in Colorado for the majority of my life, and I had never heard of this history at school, even though it’s so significant to our state’s history,” Anzelc-Tolian said.

Colorado Historic Preservation Review board members said that they look at the social importance of an applicant as much as its history. Alumni and staff members on Friday spoke about how important the school has been in their lives. 

“I think they’re a shining example of how a historic campus can serve a community continuously and serve it well over many, many decades,” board member Jane Crisler said. 

Terry Garrett, who graduated from the school in 2006, spoke about how coming from a small, rural town to a school that provided him with the tools he needed to overcome being blind and prepare him for college. 

“I would not be where I am today without the great staff, great leaders and the great historical environment at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind.”

Spangler spoke of the school’s impact on new students.

“When they first step onto our campus, you can see their eyes widen,” she said. “And when they see people using sign language, other students who have canes, they feel the sense of belonging. ‘I am a human, I don’t feel out of place.’ They feel like people are just like them.” 

“And that’s why this is the place for students who are deaf and blind.”

Lessons and programming have adapted over the years to prepare their students for life as a deaf and blind member of society. This has included trade programs and training students independent living skills.

Among the most recent additions to the campus are renovation and expansion of the Gottlieb building in 2011 for open communication and modernized education for deaf students and a universally accessible playground that opened in 2024.

The school’s nomination will now move forward to the National Register keeper in Washington, D.C., for final review. The listing will be accepted or denied within the next 45 days.

Recent Springs additions to the National Register

• People’s Methodist Episcopal Church, 527 E. St. Vrain St., July 2014 
• Dodge-Hamlin House, 1148 N. Cascade Ave., December 2014 
• Old North End Historic District, expanded entry, September 2015 
• Glen Eyrie, 3820 N. 30th St., expanded entry, December 2016 
• S.A. Wilson Elementary School, 930 Lea Drive, May 2017 
• Howard and Ruth Dutzi House, 4300 Ridgecrest Drive, April 2025