Floyd County GaArchives History - Schools .....The First Annual Report of the Commissioners for the Georgia Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb at Cave Spring (cont'd) July 1 1850
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As the second step towards the establishment of an Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb 
in the State, a bill passed the legislature which convened in the winter of 
1847, locating and endowing the "Georgia Asylum;" locating it near the village 
of Cave Spring, and endowing it by continuing the annual appropriation for 
school purposes, with an additional special appropriation for building 
purposes. At the same time a Board of five Commissioners was created, under 
whose supervisory control the Institution was placed. The Board consisted of 
DR. GEO. D. PHILIPS, DR. L. B. MERCER, DR. I. N. CULBERTSON, S. J. JOHNSON, 
Esq., and O. P. FANNIN. This Board was duly organized by the elections of DR. 
I. N. CULBERTSON, President, and S. J. JOHNSON, Esq. Sec'y and Treas. Dr. L. B. 
MERCER having declined to serve as Commissioner, Rev. JAS. DAVIS was appointed 
to fill the vacancy in the Board.

As the first step towards the dispatch of its business the Board elected Mr. O. 
P. FANNIN, a Georgia by birth and education, the Principal Instructor, and Mr. 
J. B. EDWARDS his Assistant. The next thing which engaged the attention of the 
Board was the selection of a suitable site for the erection of proper Buildings 
for the Asylum. This they did in the purchase of a lot of eight acres, 
pleasantly located in the immediate vicinity of Cave Spring; for which the sum 
of near $30 per acre was paid to the Trustees of the Hearn School. The lot is 
finely watered by a large limestone spring; having also its western boundary 
within 30 feet of a bold limpid stream, known as Little Cedar Creek. The entire 
grounds belonging to the Asylum lie within a short distance of a cave of the 
mountains, commanding a fine view of the fertile lands and picturesque scenery 
of Van's Valley. A plan for a commodious building was projected, and the 
building contracted for, which, in the opinion of the Board of Commissioners 
was well adapted to the wants of the inmates of the Institution. The building 
was built of brick, two stories high, and fronting the west: being 75 feet long 
and 40 feet wide, having a passage running through the middle from west to 
east; the lower story, divided into school rooms and rooms for the accomodation 
of the Steward and his family; the second story, divided into two large rooms 
by a cross wall, one of which is to be appropriated to sleeping apartments for 
the girls, and the other to sleeping apartments for the boys. Before, however, 
these necessary buildings could be completed, the Board was compelled to make 
arrangements for the accomodation of the pupils who had formerly been taught in 
the deaf mute department of the Hearn School. Some unoccupied buildings 
belonging to the Hearn School were rented, in which they were instructed during 
the time the Asylum buildings were being completed. It was in these rented 
rooms that the pupils were taught for one year and a half, still laboring under 
the disadvantage of boarding at a distance from the scool rooms. In the mean 
time the main Asylum building was verging towards a completion, and in the 
spring of the year 1849 the contractors announced to the Board that the 
building would be ready for use on the 1st of July. Accordingly the Board 
preceeded to the selection of a gentlemam amd lady who should fill the 
responsible stations of Steward and Matron of the Asylum. Mr. JOHN M. CARROL, a 
gentleman whose energey of character well qualified him for the discharge of 
its duties, was chosed Steward; and his lady, Mrs. SARAH CARROL, whose urbanity 
and gentleness were finely adapted to her station, was chosen Matron. The Board 
also deemed it expedient to set apart the 29th of June, and the Sabbath 
following, for a public examination of the pupils, and for a dedication of the 
building. The Hon. A. R. WRIGHT was chosen to deliver the Dedication Address on 
the 20th, and REV. N. G. FOSTER the Dedication Sermon on the following Sabbath. 
At the appointed time a large concourse of people were in attendance to witness 
the exercises of the occasion, which were quite novel to most of them, and, we 
hope, interesting to all. The high standing and acknowledged ability of Messrs. 
Wright and Foster render it unnecessary for the Board to remark of their 
discourses, farther than to say, they did ample justice both to the theme and 
to the occasion.

On the 1st day of July, 1849, the Institution commenced its first legitimate 
operation. The foregoing brief account has been given to present a complete and 
connected history of the labors of those who were early engaged in promoting 
the welfare of the deaf mutes of Georgia. A continuaiton of this history will 
bring us to the 1st of July of the present year.

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