News Update
SOS Has a New Office and a New Address
For the first time in our twenty-one year history, SOS has an office. We are in the oldest of the historic National Park Seminary buildings, known first as Ye Forest Inne and later as Main. You'll find us off the lobby at the Fountain Circle entrance. We use the office for meetings and to display treasured furnishings and artifacts. Most days, the office is not staffed or open to the public, but you can reach us by mail at 9615 Dewitt Drive, Silver Spring MD 20910.
On Sunday, May 2, 2010, Save Our Seminary presented Reminiscences of National Park College Alumnae as part of a weekend-long alumnae reunion. Three former students shared stories of their teenage years in the late 1930s and early 40s and brought to life the classes, social events, and friendships that made National Park College a unique experience.
This program was financed in part by the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission Grant Fund which is administered by the HPC and the Montgomery County Planning Board of the M-NCPPC
Reminiscences was the second in the 2010 series of quarterly presentations by SOS in the Ballroom. They are free and open to the public. Check back for details about upcoming programs.
Guided Tours of National Park Seminary
The 2010 tour season began on Saturday, March 27. The next tours will be on Sunday, May 9 and Saturday, May 22. For all the tour dates and directions, or to arrange for a special group tour, click on Tours.
National Park Seminary in the News
Bethesda Magazine has run two articles on the Seminary, "Down Size, Up Style" in the July/August 2009 issue and "The Reincarnation of National Park Seminary" in the January/February 2010 issue. Links to these articles are not available
The Seminary developer's web site has an excellent small archive of television, newspaper, and magazine articles at www.nationalparkseminary.com/news/index/html. Especially interesting and informative are Arch Campbell's ABC 7 feature on the Seminary, and articles from Bethesda Magazine (July/August 2008), Builder magazine (June 2008), and Land Development magazine (Winter 2008).
Redevelopment Update
A significant number of the historic buildings at the National Park Seminary are now renovated. Here's an overview of where things stand to date.
- Aloha House: Renovation was completed in 2008; its seven condominiums are sold and occupied.
- The Chapel: Renovation is almost completed and its single condominium is under contract.
- Main: Renovation was completed in 2008; its 66 apartments were rented by early 2009.
- Ament Hall, President's House, Senior House, Senior Annex, and the Music Hall: The renovation of these five connected buildings was completed in Fall 2009; together, they include the Ballroom and 42 condominiums of which 9 have been sold and occupied and several others are under contract.
- Miller Library: Renovation was completed in late 2008 and it is occupied by the owner-contractor as a single-family home.
- Edgewood II: Renovation was completed in late 2008, was rented for a year and is currently for sale.
- The Postmaster's house: Renovation was completed in 2010 and has been sold.
- The Chauffeur's Cottage and the Japanese Bungalow: Renovation of these two buildings was completed; they are currently for sale as single-family homes.
- The Spanish Mission: Renovation is in process and it is currently for sale as a single-family home.
- The Swiss Chalet, the Japanese Pagoda, the American Bungalow, and the Colonial House: These four buildings have not yet been renovated; they are currently for sale to contractor/developers who will renovate them under a preservation easement as single-family homes.
- The Dutch Windmill: This building is not renovated; a sales contract is pending that will lead to its renovation as a single-family home.
- Site and Landscape: The fountain in front of Main has been restored and is in working order; the statue of Joan of Arc was returned to the front of Senior House; new curbs, paving, sidewalks and landscaping has been largely completed around the principle renovated buildings.
- Parking structure: This new structure next to Music Hall is nearing completion.
Despite progress, a substantial amount of work remains.
- The Gymnasium has first priority for renovation as twelve residential units in 2010.
- Practice House, the Power Plant, and the Carriage House are scheduled to be renovated as fifteen residential units in 2010.
- The Carpentry Shop, the Men’s Quarters, and the Stables are scheduled for renovation after those scheduled for 2010 are completed.
- The Villa and the Castle will be the last buildings to be renovated; the proposed plan is for residential units in the Villa and a single-family home in the Castle.
Recent Acquisitions
On June 2, 2009, we received a beautiful pin which appears to be a sorority pin for the National Park Seminary's Eta Zeta Theta Sorority which used the Swiss Chalet as its clubhouse. The pin was engraved with the initials NFF and the date1914. Our research strongly suggests that it belonged to Naomi Florence Fulton of Illinois of the class of 1915. An Illinois couple found it in the jewelry box of an elderly relative who had recently passed away. Their search for more information led them to SOS and they generously chose to donate it to us.
In May 2009, we received an album of early Twentieth Century photographs compiled by Lelia Robbins of Greensburg, Indiana. Ms. Robbins was a National Park Seminary student in 1908. The photographs include Seminary students and buildings Seminary as well as people and places that we assume were taken in her home town.