Back to Resources
Article

Pilgrimage to Laura Bridgman’s childhood home

The childhood home of Laura Bridgman is located in Etna, New Hampshire. Moses Woolcott who built a one room home on the land in 1767.

Written by: Jen Hale
SHARE
The childhood home of Laura Bridgman located in Etna, New Hampshire.

In the last days of August, staff from the Perkins Archives and Research library took a road trip to Etna, New Hampshire (part of Hanover) to visit Laura Bridgman’s childhood home. Graciously hosted by the mother of the current owner, we were given a tour of the grounds and buildings once roamed by this Perkins alumna who became the first person who was deafblind to be formally educated in the United States.

Mink Meadow Farm

The original land, known as Mink Meadow Farm, was granted to a Moses Woolcott who built a one room home on the land in 1767. This home, considered one of the oldest in Hanover, consisted of little more than a room with an oven and a sleeping loft. What Laura would have been more familiar with is the main house and barn, built in 1820 by Benjamin Fellows. Fellows was married Persis Bridgman and in 1830 her nephew Daniel Bridgman, brought his wife and 3 daughters to live on the farm. One of these daughters was Laura Bridgman and this is where she contracted the case of Scarlet Fever in 1832 that left her deafblind at the age of two. ​

Getting Laura Bridgman to Perkins

A beautiful shaded brook along the back of the house and open fields and forest along the front provide views that are likely not much different than they were in Bridgman’s time. It was easy to imagine Laura and Asa Tenny, who had intellectual disabilities, exploring the grounds as they did before she left to attend school in Boston in 1837. Tenny, the family handyman, was a close friend to Laura, continuing to write to her even after she went away to school.

The opportunity to send Laura to Perkins came when Dartmouth Student James Barrett, who was conducting a census, mentioned her to Dr. Reuben Mussey, a Professor at Dartmouth medical school. Mussey in turn informed Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, Perkins’ first director, who sought to have her as a pupil. It wasn’t long before Bridgman, Howe, and Perkins School for the Blind acquired world-wide acclaim.

Memorial plaque

In 1937 a group gathered in Etna, New Hampshire to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Laura Bridgman’s arrival at Perkins School for the Blind. The ceremony included a new memorial plaque which was unveiled in 1937 by Perkins students from the deafblind department, Leonard Dowdy and Tad Chapman. The inscription reads,

“The Home of
Laura D. Bridgman
1829-1889
The First Blind, Deaf Mute
to be Taught the Use of Language
Entered Perkins Institution, Boston
​October 4 1837
​Dedicated by Deaf-Blind Pupils at Perkins
a Century Later.”

The Plaque, which is mounted on a large boulder, can still be seen at the front of house.

A crowd that includes Perkins alumni Leonard Dowdy, is shown accompanied by Miss Inis B. Hall
A crowd that includes Perkins alumni Leonard Dowdy, is shown accompanied by a teacher who is probably Miss Inis B. Hall gathered around a newly unveiled memorial plaque set into a boulder.
A close up of the same memorial plaque taken in 2015.
A close up of the same memorial plaque taken in 2015.
There is a small backyard filled with trees and a bench facing Mink Brook.
A view behind the Bridgman home. There is a small backyard filled with trees and a bench facing Mink Brook. Behind the brook is a lushly forested area. A giant boulder cuts into the landscape on the forest side of the brook.
A view of the back of the barn, which highlights a foundation made of rocks. The building is white and surrounded by trees.
A view of the back of the barn, which highlights a foundation made of rocks. The building is white and surrounded by trees.
Close up of a wooden plaque on wood paneling that reads "Bridgman c. 1820."
Close up of a wooden plaque on wood paneling that reads “Bridgman c. 1820.” It hangs above the doorway separating the secondary addition from the original building.
a fireplace, salmon couch, and side table, all of which appear to be antiques.
A view of the living room in the two story building. It features a fireplace, salmon couch, and side table, all of which appear to be antiques. There is a green, orange, and white floral patterned paper decorating the walls.
A view from behind the staircase and though the front door of Bridgman's childhood home.
A view from behind the staircase and though the front door of Bridgman’s childhood home. The green, undeveloped land across the street from can be seen outside. A hanging candle holder can been seen in front of the stairway.
A pastel colored floral wallpaper, a brass bed, a drawer chest, and a mirror decorate the otherwise empty room.
One of the bedrooms on the second floor. A pastel colored floral wallpaper, a brass bed, a drawer chest, and a mirror decorate the otherwise empty room. A view of the barn and a large tree can be seen through the window.
A front view of Bridgman's childhood home that features the original part of the house
A front view of Bridgman’s childhood home that features the original part of the house and the two story addition. The house is white with green trim.
View across the street from Bridgman's childhood home that shows pristine, undeveloped land
View across the street from Bridgman’s childhood home that shows pristine, undeveloped land on the other side of a two lane road and behind a mailbox.
The front view of Bridgman's birth place. The house is a simple one story building with a porch on its' left side.
The front view of Bridgman’s birth place. The house is a simple one story building with a porch on its’ left side. A plaque on the front of the building reads, “c. 1812” The building is white with emerald green shutters and a light green roof that appears to be covered in metal.
A view of the entrance to Dana Cemetery where the Bridgman family is buried.
A view of the entrance to Dana Cemetery where the Bridgman family is buried. A narrow, but small mound of landscaped land is covered with grave stones and monuments. The cemetery is surrounded by forest and thick vegetation.
The Bridgman monument at Dana Cemetary has an incription that reads Laura Dewey Bridgman Dec. 21. 1829. May 24. 1889.
The Bridgman monument at Dana Cemetary has an incription that reads Laura Dewey Bridgman Dec. 21. 1829. May 24. 1889. Deaf Dumb and Blind from two years old. Educated at Perkins Institute for the Blind South Boston Mass.

Suggested citation

Hale, Jen. “Pilgrimage to Laura Bridgman’s childhood home.” Perkins Archives Blog, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown MA. January 7, 2016.

Browse the Archives’ blog posts
Explore the Perkins Archives
SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Keep reading

View all stories & resources
Portrait of Lady Campbell. In three-quarter profile with hair parted down the middle and braided in the back. Wearing a dress with lace collar and dark lacy shawl.
Article

Lady Campbell
Portrait of Emile Pierre Trencheri, 1832.
Article

Emile Trencheri
Edward Kennedy, facing the camera, shaking Richard C. Carlson's hand. Carlson's back is to the camera.
Guide

Edward M. Kennedy’s 1988 Perkins Graduation Speech