School Bio

Saint Joseph’s School for the Deaf was founded in 1869 in the Fordham section of the Bronx, New York. The original founders were of the religious order, The Society of the Daughters of the Heart of MaryOpens in a new browser tab. The small school building soon outgrew the demand for enrollment and a second branch opened in Brooklyn in 1874. The need for the education of deaf boys opened yet another branch in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx known as Oakland Cottage in 1876. During this period, the education of the students focused on dressmaking and cooking for the girls and printing for the boys. In 1891, the boys department printed a monthly newsletter called Saint Joseph of the Oaks. It became a source of revenue for the school for the next sixty years. By 1913, the increase in population of deaf children resulted in the opening of our present building. Since then, the handsome red brick building has been an impressive landmark in the Bronx. The surrounding neighborhood, as well as the city and state of New York, applauds the school for its success in educating deaf children for more than 145 years.