New York State Institution for the Blind Ledger Accounts B0431

New York State Institution for the Blind Ledger Accounts

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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:

This series consists of ledger accounts for the Institute of the Blind, created while the institution's facilities in Batavia were under construction. Entries are listed under categories such as construction, steam heating apparatus, and furniture, as well as by individual company account names. Each entry includes date, description, and price.

Creator:

New York State Institution for the Blind

Title:

Institution for the Blind ledger accounts

Quantity:

0.2 cubic feet

Quantity:

1 volume(s)

Quantity:

1 35mm microfilm roll(s)

Inclusive Dates:

1866-1868

Series Number:

B0431

Scope and Content Note

The records in this series are ledger accounts apparently produced in accordance with Chapter 587 of the Laws of 1865, which created the institution and required that records of daily operations be kept. During the period covered by these records, the school buildings in Batavia, New York were under construction and commissioners appointed by the governor were charged with contracting for that construction and leasing a temporary building (which was never officially occupied) until the construction was complete.

The records in this series apparently document expenses incurred during this transition period of the institution's founding, but there is no indication if the information pertains to the permanent or the interim site (in Binghamton). The Batavia facility officially opened in September 1868. The records are on pages 1-81 and 101-102 of a volume labeled "Ledger" which also contains book lists and annual reports of the institution after it was renamed as the New York State School for the Blind (Chapter 563 of the Laws of 1895). The volume was obviously reused decades after this series was produced.

The accounts are in no particular order and are listed intermittently within the volume, which contains many blank pages. Entries are listed under broad categories including construction, expense, steam heating apparatus, and furniture, as well as by individual company account names. Information for each entry includes date, description, and price. Most often amounts are totaled and a balance carried forward.

For more information researchers may consult the earliest annual reports of the institution, available at the New York State Library.