|
|
Introducing the NC School for the Deaf Historical
Museum Website
We former students and staff members of the North Carolina School
for the Deaf think we have found a great way to increase interest in
the history of our school. While our local museum contains a vast
reservoir of historic items, we realize that not all of our visitors
can visit our museum and see first-hand the treasures we have
collected. Therefore, we will use this website, ncsdmuseum.net, to
inform and enlighten our membership and our visitors about the
history of our school, the North Carolina School for the Deaf.
Mission:
The sole function of the Historical Rusmisell Museum Society (NC
Historical Museum) is to acquaint the people of North Carolina
through every available method of education with the history of the
North Carolina School for the Deaf. In order to accomplish this
educational objective, the Society will do all within its power to
collect all available historical material connected with the history
of the North Carolina School for the Deaf, preserve the same, and
record it in such an orderly manner that it may be more readily
utilized for educational purposes.
About Us
Currently our museum is located at the North Carolina School for the
Deaf in Morganton, North Carolina and is housed in the former
superintendent home which was built in 1870.
The first small museum was located on the second floor in the Main
Building in 1977. At that time NCSD students Jimmy Autrey, Kenneth
McGee (deceased), and other students plus some NCSD administrators
and staff members began setting up the museum, dedicating it to the
Rusmisell families (More details about the Rusmisell families can be
found elsewhere on the website ncsdmuseum.net.) The museum remained
at this location until the renovation of the Main Building began in
1998 and was completed in 2003.
In 1981, Dr. Rance Henderson, former superintendent, requested a few
staff members and friends to start a new organization for the NCSD
Historical Museum, to oversee the work on the museum. Over the
years, our museum organization underwent many changes in order to
provide better services to the visitors and alumni. In 1994 our
board members decided to have our museum organization incorporated.
After much long work, the Historic Rusmisell Museum Society finally
became incorporated in 1995. In 2003 we moved our historical
materials and equipment to its current location, the former
superintendent home.
On display are many artifacts, vintage clothing, newspapers, school
publications, yearbooks, photos, negatives, films and VCR tapes,
scrapbooks, old furniture, alumni newsletters, Biennial Reports,
etc. from 1891 to the present. Also we included some articles,
Biennial Reports and photos of our state’s first deaf school in
Raleigh, covering the years from 1845 to 1891.
We believe that visitors will enjoy going through the museum and
learning about NCSD’s rich history and its many accomplishments.
|
|
|
