Perkins School for the Blind

Perkins School for the Blind is named in honor of Thomas Handasyd Perkins, a wealthy and visually-impaired 19th century Boston shipping merchant, who was one of the organization's incorporators. In 1833 the school outgrew the Pleasant Street house of Howe's father, and Perkins donated his Pearl Street mansion as the school's second home. In 1839 Perkins sold the mansion and donated the proceeds. This gift allowed the purchase of a more spacious building in South Boston. In 1885, six acres were purchased in the Hyde Square section of Jamaica Plain to build a kindergarten. The school moved to its present Watertown campus in the autumn of 1912.