The tour for November 27 is now full.
Special Tour of the Glen
In addition to our last monthly guided tour on November 27 this year, SOS is holding a special tour of the historic Glen at National Park Seminary on November 14. Reservations are required.
Beltway Project Threatens NPS Landscape
The threat to the historic Glen at National Park Seminary has now received national attention. The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization, has named the Glen a “Landslide” property due to the threat from potential widening of the Beltway as well as its overall decline from erosion, neglect, and age. You can help stop the “landslide” by sharing this article and supporting SOS’s efforts to protect and restore this historic landscape.
Beltway Expansion
The state of Maryland is pursuing a plan to expand the I-495 Beltway that will adversely affect National Park Seminary. SOS has actively taken the following position regarding this plan.
THE GLEN AT NATIONAL PARK SEMINARY: THREATENED BY I-495 EXPANSION
Save Our Seminary believes that expansion of I-495 will cause irreversible harm to the campus of the former National Park Seminary, damaging a woodland landscape and its historic artifacts, all protected under conservation and historic easements. We therefore oppose any proposed alternatives by the Maryland Department of Transportation for the I-495 & I-270 P3 Program that result in widening I-495.
The following attributes support the protection of the Glen from roadway expansion:
• The Glen is part of National Park Seminary, a Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places.
• As such, the Glen is protected by a Preservation Easement with the Maryland Historic Trust.
• The Glen is also protected by Category 1 Conservation Easements from the Maryland-National Capital Parks & Planning Commission, which prohibit construction within the easements.
• Over 800 linear feet of the Glen is bordered by I-495 and would be affected by roadway expansion.
• Conversion of this woodland to road would be a significant loss of green infrastructure that performs a vital role in rainwater and temperature management, as well as loss of habitat for native species.
• Historic assets such as a bridge abutment and stone wall would be lost, in a property where there has already been significant loss from previous development.
Maryland’s Coolest Spaces
SOS nominated National Park Seminary as one of Maryland’s Coolest Spaces for 2021 for The Daily Record’s special issue—and NPS was selected as one of 20 cool spaces around the state. Here’s the link to the full list with text about each one – https://thedailyrecord.com/coolest-spaces/