National Park Seminary, later renamed National Park College, was an elite, private, nonsectarian women’s boarding and finishing school that operated from 1894 until 1942 in Forest Glen Park, Maryland. Its name alludes to nearby Rock Creek Park. The school was renowned for its highly eclectic, international architecture and rigorous lifestyle preparation. In the early 21st century the historic campus is being preserved as the center of a new housing development.
History
Origin
The land that became National Park Seminary was originally the ancestral territory of the Piscataway (Conoy), who managed and stewarded the region collectively without concepts of individualized real property.
Following European colonization, the land originated under the Maryland proprietary system established by Cecil Calvert (Lord Baltimore) and was acquired by the colonial governor before passing to the Carroll family. The tract was divided and resold through colonial patents issued in the late 1600s, becoming part of the broader Forest Glen estate region associated in the 1700s with Daniel Carroll, a Founding Father who signed both the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution.
Ye Forest Inn
The historic parcels were eventually assembled in 1887 by the Forest Glen Improvement Company, which developed the site into a resort hotel known as Ye Forest Inn, a summer vacation retreat for Washington, D.C., residents. Following the resort's financial failure.
The property was leased to John Irving Cassedy and Vesta Harvey Cassedy, whom later purchased the former resort hotel Ye Forest Inn in Maryland, which redeveloped it into a finishing school for young women.
National Park Seminary
John Irving Cassedy and Vesta Harvey Cassedy were Ohio-born educators who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ohio Wesleyan University. They began their teaching careers at Lasell Seminary in Massachusetts, a private women’s school, where they taught a curriculum that combined academic subjects such as languages, history, and science with instruction in music, art, and domestic sciences After working in women’s education and boarding-school administration, the Cassedys accumulated savings through several years of teaching and administrative positions at private seminaries.
National Park Seminary officially opened its doors on the last Thursday of September 1894 with an inaugural class of 48 female students. Under the leadership of the Cassedys, the seminary quickly gained a reputation as a highly progressive yet prestigious residential school.
To accommodate the expanding student body, which grew significantly from its original 48 students, the campus was expanded with a unique network of covered walkways connecting the dormitories and academic halls. The founders structured the school's daily administration around a close-knit academic community, a system later supported by members of the administration such as Assistant Dean Miss Edna Roeckel.
From the late 1890s through the early 1910s, National Park Seminary expanded into a successful private women’s boarding school and finishing school. Enrollment grew from several dozen students in its early phase to approximately 50 to 150 students at peak capacity. The institution generated revenue primarily through annual tuition and boarding fees typical of elite schools of the period, estimated at $300 to $600 per student each year depending on instruction in languages, music, arts, and residential arrangements. This produced an approximate annual institutional revenue of $15,000 to $90,000 (equivalent to $–$ today), allowing the school to maintain modest operating surpluses. These funds were consistently reinvested into faculty salaries, dormitory-style student housing, dining services, and the gradual development of the campus’s distinctive themed architecture and specialized educational programs.
Buildings The National Park Seminary's "architectural fantasy" campus was partly shaped by architect Emily Elizabeth Holman, who operated under the professional name "E. E. Holman" in late 19th-century Philadelphia. Following early training in established architectural offices, she went on to launch her own independent practice in the city. To complement the campus's eclectic aesthetic, most of the core buildings within the central seminary complex were interconnected indoors and via roofed, weather-sheltered balconies. This distinctive structural design allowed students and faculty to transit freely throughout the main campus facilities, remaining protected from the winter cold and rainy weather without needing to step outdoors.
Conversely, the school's highly recognized, themed sorority clubhouses—such as the Dutch windmill, Spanish Mission, and Japanese pagoda—were constructed adjacent to the main complex as standalone structures and were not part of this interconnected walkway system. These buildings were expressions of Holman's signature focus on "picturesque cottages" and incorporated design input from the seminary's own students, contributing significantly to the school's whimsical, fairytale, and dreamlike atmosphere.
At the time of construction, formal architectural licensing in the United States was not yet standardized across most states, with professional practice generally relying on apprenticeship, field experience, and portfolio work.
+ Major buildings and structures of National Park Seminary Year completed Building or structure Architectural style Original function / purpose Status today 1894 Main Building (converted from the 1887 resort hotel) Queen Anne / Victorian Administration offices, classrooms, dining facilities, and dormitories; center of campus life Survives, heavily modified c. 1897 Library rooms (within Main Building) Victorian interior Library and study space Incorporated into Main Building 1898 Aloha Cottage Hawaiian-inspired vernacular Residence of John and Vesta Cassedy; later student housing Survives 1898 Senior House Colonial Revival Student dormitory Survives, modified 1900 Practice House Colonial Revival Individual music practice rooms for students Survives 1901 Miller Library Classical Revival Main library and study building Survives 1901 Gymnasium Institutional Colonial Revival Physical education facility including swimming pool, bowling alley, basketball court, and solarium Survives 1901 Japanese House Japanese architecture Literary society house and student gathering space Survives 1903 Swiss Chalet Swiss chalet style Literary society house and meetings Survives 1903 Dutch Windmill House Dutch Revival Literary society house and social events Survives 1904 English Castle Cottage Medieval Revival Literary society activities and meetings Survives 1904 Alpine Cottage Alpine / Swiss Revival Literary society house and gatherings Survives 1905 Spanish Mission House Mission Revival Literary society headquarters and cultural activities Survives 1905 Italian Villa Italian Renaissance Revival Literary society meetings and social functions Survives 1906 Colonial House Colonial Revival Literary society gatherings and events Survives 1907 Music Hall Classical Revival Music instruction, rehearsals, and recitals Partially preserved 1907 Pagoda Japanese-inspired pavilion Outdoor receptions, performances, and social gatherings Survives 1908 Stone Hall Tudor Revival Student residence hall Survives 1908–1909 President’s House Colonial Revival Residence of the school president Survives 1910 Odeon Theater Classical Greek Revival Open-air performances, concerts, and commencement ceremonies Survives 1910–1912 Senior Annex Colonial Revival Expanded dormitory accommodations Survives, altered 1910–1916 Dormitory Villas Eclectic Revival styles Additional student housing Some survive 1927 Ament Hall Colonial Revival Ballroom, assemblies, dances, and commencement events Survives Various Bronze lions (gate monuments) Beaux-Arts sculpture Decorative gatehouse monuments Survive Various Bronze fish, horses, sirens, and eagles Decorative sculpture Landscape ornamentation Survive
Aloha House
Built in 1898 during the school's initial building campaign, Aloha House began as a modest, freestanding, wood-shingled bungalow that embodied the early, quaint domestic character of the National Park Seminary. Over the next two decades, the building underwent massive, ostentatious additions, transforming it into a rambling, multi-story stucco estate featuring dramatic brick arches and a prominent loggia arcade. Architecturally, its most striking feature is a covered breezeway flanked by ten distinct, Art Nouveau-style cast stone caryatid statues—sculpted maidens that physically support the porch infrastructure.
Originally was constructed to serve as the private campus residence for the seminary's founder and president, John Cassedy, and his wife Vesta (the school's principal), the home was later converted into a premium dormitory for junior-level students. To shield the young women from inclement weather, Aloha House was seamlessly integrated into the campus infrastructure via an extensive network of covered walkways and enclosed bridges connecting it directly to the Main Building. The estate functioned as a high-end residential hub where students practiced daily recitations and hosted elegant "At-Home" gatherings, serving as an immersive training ground for contemporary social graces.
The army acquired the building in 1942, following World War II, the property suffered from more than twenty-five years of severe abandonment and structural decay, during which the historical elements faced immense weathering. The complex was ultimately saved by a $150 million public-private redevelopment initiative; as part of this effort, historical preservationists meticulously restored the building's iconic maiden statues, successfully transitioning Aloha House into a unique, multi-unit residential condominium.
Recitation Rooms (c. 1890s–1900s)
Recitation rooms were small instructional spaces used for daily academic exercises, oral examinations, and student presentations. Instruction in these rooms typically involved memorization, reading aloud, language practice, and formal recitations as part of the school’s structured curriculum. The rooms were an important component of classroom instruction at National Park Seminary, particularly during its early period as a women’s finishing and boarding school.
Practice House (1900)
The Practice House was constructed in 1900 as a dedicated facility for music practice and instruction. It was designed as a series of isolated practice rooms intended to minimize sound transmission, allowing students to rehearse individually without disturbing others. The space was used to prepare students for formal performances in the Music Hall and other campus venues, supporting the school’s broader music education program.
Gymnasium (1901)
The gymnasium was completed in 1901 as a multi-level athletic facility for physical education and recreation. The basement level contained a swimming pool, the second level included a bowling alley and basketball court, and the upper level featured a solarium used for indoor recreation. The building reflects the emphasis on physical training and student health in early 20th-century women’s education.
Music Hall / Conservatory (1907)
The Music Hall, sometimes described as a conservatory building, was constructed in 1907 to support formal music instruction and performance. It contained rehearsal spaces and rooms used for recitals and structured musical training. The building expanded the school’s music curriculum beyond the earlier Practice House facilities.
President’s House (c. 1908–1909)