Opened in 1832 as the New England Asylum for the Blind, the Perkins School was the country's first school established to teach blind students, a tradition that has continued for 180 years. Perhaps the best-known student was Helen Keller, who attended Perkins when it was located in South Boston. Keller's teacher, Annie Sullivan was also a Perkins graduate and valedictorian. The Perkins School was moved three times before it settled at the present Watertown site in 1912. The Watertown campus was designed by notable Boston architect R. Clipston Sturgis, who created a harmonious group of buildings designed in the English Collegiate Gothic Style. The original 1912 Lower School building was recently rehabilitated for use as residences and offices, using Massachusetts state historic tax credits.