 It was established in 1837, making it the nation's first public school for the visually impaired.The Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind building was constructed in 1874 in downtown Columbus on Parsons Ave. Later it became the headquarters for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and is now home to the Columbus Public Health offices.In the early 1900s, the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind.