The David W. Smouse Opportunity School is a historical building located in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, United States. The building was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Rawson, Souers & Thomas in the

Tudor Revival Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...

style. The school opened in 1931 and served the educational needs of 165 students with physical disabilities that were unable to attend a regular public school. It was the only school in

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

that was built to desegregate handicapped children, who were generally institutionalized in isolation. with The facility was designed for their individual needs. The blackboards were tilted to prevent glare for the visually impaired, rooms were designed to carry sound vibrations for the hearing impaired students. Large windows and three courtyards provided fresh air. One of the courtyards had a fountain. The restrooms were adapted, temperature controls in each classroom, and a rooftop playground was included in the building's design. A swimming pool was added in 1955. Financial gifts were used to purchase works of art throughout the building. Imported ceramic tiles, wrought iron signs, working fireplaces and decorative light fixtures also adorned the facility. The school was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2002.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smouse, David W., Opportunity School School buildings completed in 1931 National Register of Historic Places in Des Moines, Iowa School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa Schools in Des Moines, Iowa Tudor Revival architecture in Iowa