National Park Seminary

Forest Glen, Maryland: Do you know where Forest Glen Maryland is?
Take a look at this map (This is the point of the presentation where I wish I could embed a map into my review)
Well, imagine an isosceles triangle. Those are the ones that have a corner with 70 degrees– another corner with 70 degrees– and the third corner with 40 degrees. But make it stand straight up… like a pyramid. Ok, just think of a pyramid… but just one side, not like an actual 3D Pyramid. Ok… ya know what, think of a Yield Sign. There we go, just think of a Yield sign.
The bottom left corner is Bethesda, the bottom right corner is Silver Spring and the top of the Yield sign is Forest Glen.
See, that was so much easier than just showing you a map. In that time, I hope that you’ve just googled Forest Glen and seen exactly where it is.
So in Forest Glen there is an enormous building on Linden Lane and you’ll see a Japanese Pagoda right in front of it. Yes, a true to form, authentic color paint, bamboo what not Japanese Freakin’ Pagoda. That’ll make you say something like «This Is the FR*&*in’ Catalina Wine Mixer!». of buildings. And then you’ll say, «Why have I never seen this before.»
Here’s some real short history. I did the research for you. The building was built as a Hotel/​Vacation Resort in 1887 for DC vacationers: Ye Old Forest Inn. But that didn’t work out. Apparently the people who ran it were less than savvy. Then in 1894 it became an all girls school. And it remained that way until 1942. But, as you remember, we were dragged into WW2 in 1942 after Pearl Harbor happened December 7^th 1941 «A Day Which Will Live In Infamy».
Quick side note. In addition to Pearl Harbor the Japanese on that day also attacked the following: American ships the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu, Malaya, Hong Kong, Guam, the Philippine Islands, Wake Island. And the next morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island. Something I didn’t know because everything is really ethnocentric here in America. And now back to National Park Seminary
So the building in 1942 became sort of an Annex for Walter Reed and was controlled by the army. But in 1977 most of the buildings were left abandoned. Which essentially became a playground (a very expensive and beautiful playground) for vandals. After years of neglect and vandalism a company called The Alexander Company helped in it’s rehabilitation for the purpose of preserving this listing on the «National Register of Historic Places.»
For a very long time an organization called SOS (Save Our Seminary) has been working to raise money to preserve and repair so many of the historic buildings, structures, and intricate details that make this place so G-​D Da*n Magical!
The building used to face railroad tracks where people would travel off the railroad and right onto the campus. Now, that railroad is 495 so the front faces a non accessible point. Coming up from Linden, you’re actually coming from the back and don’t get to see the entire majesty of what the Seminary is.
Quick info:
National Park Seminary– the name
After Ye Old Forest Inn the school took notice of Rock Creek Park which was constructed and opened during that time (an attraction that many people were coming to see), the spot was named «National Park» in reference to being so close to that site.
The Seminary comes from the older meaning of seminary which is: «a school of secondary or higher level for young women.»
So the campus is big 23 acres. And on that campus lives several sorority houses done in an international theme (I KNOW! Awesome!) Which explains the Japanese Pagoda– some of the others include a: «Dutch windmill, a Swiss chalet, an Italian villa, An American Bungalow and an English castle»
Quick note– In 1936 the National Park Seminary was renamed National Park College and served as a very prestigious woman’s college for a while. The name was changed back to National Park Seminary after it was reacquired from the army.
The campus is brilliant and beautiful. Large sculptures decorate the beautiful buildings at almost every turn. A mix of styles inside the buildings. Especially the wonderful ballroom. The site is just something to behold.
They do tours on Every 4^th Saturday at 1PM
Here are the rest for 2014 — They start at 1PM and are 5 bucks per person
Saturday, June 28
Saturday, July 26
Sunday, August 3
Saturday, August 23
Saturday, September 27
Saturday, October 25
Saturday, November 22