Texas School For The Blind

General George A. Custer, Elizabeth Custer, and unidentified others on the steps of the School for the Blind building. Custer spent a few months in Austin after the Civil War. Austin, Texas. The Arno Nowotny Building, constructed in 1857, is one of the earliest buildings on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The site is known as “Little Campus”, which includes the Arno Nowotny Building and Hargis Hall, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The two story limestone and brick masonry building was designed and built in the Italianate Style by architect Abner H. Cook, who is well known for several other historic buildings including the Governor’s Mansion and the Neil-Cochran House. The building was significantly modified and served several purposes during its existence, from the Texas Asylum for the Blind to a men’s dormitory and military barracks during WWI. In 1984 the building was restored to its original 1857 appearance following a major campaign to save the building from demolition.

Facade of the school with people standing in a row

Exterior view of the State Institution for the Blind.

Texas School for the Blind building slightly obscured by trees. Original albumen print filed with Gethsemane Collection, AR.M.013