Is it a Mother Goose rhyme or the Gilded Age? Actually, it is both here at the National Park Seminary. Only a few miles from Washington D.C., this place has a Dutch windmill. It also boasts a Japanese pagoda and a Swiss chalet.
Welcome to the National Park Seminary. Its story began in 1887 as Ye Forest Inn. This was a summer retreat for Washington D.C. residents. However, the retreat failed financially. The property was sold and became a finishing school. It opened in 1894 with 48 female students. The name National Park Seminary alludes to nearby Rock Creek Park.
The campus architecture remained eclectic and whimsical. Exotic designs included an Italian villa and an English castle. These small homes had international designs. Architect Emily Elizabeth Holman of Philadelphia designed them. The campus also featured covered walkways. You could also find outdoor sculptures and formal gardens.
The Cassedys wanted to give their students an education. This included math, sciences, and history. They also wanted to help them learn about the world. Eight sorority houses were built. Each resembled a different country’s architecture. These designs made the school famous. The school attracted students from wealthy families. Names like Hershey, Chrysler, Heinz, Kraft, and Maytag filled the registry. The school had 279 students and 42 faculty in 1909.
Vesta Cassedy died in 1910. Two years later, John Cassedy married a seminary graduate. She was 46 years his junior. A scandal followed. Cassedy sold the school in 1916. Joseph Trees, a rich oil mogul from Pittsburgh, bought it. The school continued for 20 years with fewer students.
In 1942, the United States Army purchased the school. The country was at war. The military needed a place for wounded soldiers to recover. The Army renamed it the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Forest Glen Annex.
National Park Seminary held fond memories for students. However, the diverse buildings reminded veterans of war-torn settings. PTSD flashback screams echoed through the campus at night.
The Army owned the property for nearly 60 years. Veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War spent time here. Many were amputees. They were patients of the prosthetic lab next door.
The Army stopped using the property in 1977 but owned it until 2004. In 1972, the seminary became a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. The Army neglected the seminary and threatened to demolish it. Save Our Seminary was formed in 1988. In 2001, they convinced the Army to sell the property to Montgomery County.
The Alexander Company then bought it. They develop historic properties. Today, you can explore these architectural treasures. The Save Our Seminary offers tours. You can even live here. There are over 200 apartments, townhomes, and condos for rent or purchase. Six of the original sorority houses have been refurbished. These include the pagoda and Dutch windmill.
The National Park Seminary has undergone many changes. Its scattered architecture reflects that. Today, it is a peculiar and fascinating place. It blends a Mother Goose rhyme with the Gilded Age.