Madeira School

The Madeira School (simply referred to as Madeira School or Madeira) is an elite,[2] private, day and boarding college-preparatory school for girls from grades 9-12 in McLean, Virginia, United States. The school has 336 students.[3]

The Madeira School
Oval and Main building
Address
8328 Georgetown Pike

McLean
,
Virginia
22102

United States
Coordinates38°57′55″N 77°14′6″W
Information
Other names
  • Madeira School
  • Madeira
TypePrivate, day and boarding college-preparatory school
MottoLatin: Festina lente
(Make haste slowly)
Established1906 (1906)
FounderLucy Madeira Wing
NCES School ID02063874[1]
Head of schoolGretchen Warner
Teaching staff50.3 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Grades9–12
GenderGirls
Enrollment321 (2017–2018)[1]
Student to teacher ratio6.4[1]
Campus size376 acres (1.52 km2)
Campus typeFringe rural[1]
Color(s)Red and White   
NicknameSnails
Websitewww.madeira.org

It was established in 1906 by Lucy Madeira Wing.

History

Founded by Lucy Madeira Wing (1873–1961) in 1906, the school was originally located on 19th Street near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. In 1931, it was moved some 12 miles west to the Northern Virginia suburb of McLean.[4]

Buildings on the 1931 campus included Main, the dining hall, Schoolhouse, East, West, and North South Dorms, The Land, the Annex (infirmary), and the two gatehouses at the entrance to the Oval. Buildings added later include the Chapel/Auditorium, the indoor riding ring and Gaines Hall, the science building, a renovated and expanded dining hall, Hurd Sports Center, and Huffington Library.[5]

In 1973, the body of 14-year-old student Natalia Semler was found bound and beaten on the school grounds.[6][7] John Gilreath, who had been convicted of a sexual assault at the school two years earlier, was convicted of her murder.[8]

In 1980, then-headmistress Jean Harris was convicted of the murder of Herman Tarnower.[9][10][11]

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 310 girls enrolled in 2013–2014 was:[12]

  • Native American/Alaskan - 0.7%
  • Asian/Pacific islanders - 21.6%
  • Black - 13.9%
  • Hispanic - 3.5%
  • White - 55.5%
  • Multiracial - 4.8%

Campus and facilities

The campus is on 376 acres (1.52 km2) overlooking the Potomac River (McLean, Virginia) and consists of 34 separate buildings.

Public access

The Madeira school has had many disputes over the use of its land. In 1966, Fairfax County proposed to turn 208 of Madeira's 376 acres (1.52 km2) into public parkland.[13] In 1991, Madeira gave a trail easement along Georgetown Pike and $89,000 for construction so that hikers could walk the Potomac Heritage Route without entering the main area of the campus.[14] However, this trail was never completed by the park officials. In 2008, the Fairfax County government attempted to obtain from Madeira an easement near the Potomac River to permit the completion of a 100-mile (160 km) loop of walking trails as a condition of approval for the school's proposed expansion plans. This one-mile (1.6 km)-long trail section through Madeira's property would connect the county's Scott's Run Park to Great Falls National Park. The Madeira School declined this easement, citing concerns about safety and environmental impacts.[15][16]

Notable alumnae

Notable faculty

References
  1. "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for The Madeira School". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  2. Martin, Emmie; Browning, Lauren (January 12, 2015). "The 50 Most Elite Boarding Schools in the US". Business Insider.
  3. "Madeira at a Glance". Madeira School. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  4. "The Madeira School". Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  5. "History & Vision - The Madeira School". www.madeira.org.
  6. "GIRL FOUND SLAIN AT MADEIRA SCHOOL". AP via New York Times. October 31, 1973. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  7. "Gilreath Indicted in Slaying". Northern Virginia Sun. January 23, 1974. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  8. "Gilreath v. Robinson, 544 F. Supp. 569 (E.D. Va. 1982)". Justia Law. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  9. Haden-Guest, Anthony (March 31, 1980). "The Headmistress and the Diet Doctor". New York Magazine. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  10. Isaacson, Walter (March 9, 1981). "Jean Harris: Murder with Intent to Love". TIME. Archived from the original on February 22, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  11. "JAN. 17-23: Former Headmistress Freed; Jean Harris, 69 and Frail, Paroled for 1980 Murder - New York Times". Nytimes.com. January 24, 1993. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  12. "Search for Private Schools - School Detail for The Madeira School". nces.ed.gov. US Department of Education. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  13. "Notable Dates in Madeira's History". The Madeira School. Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  14. "Madeira Interacts with Local Government". The Madeira School. September 24, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  15. "Letters to the Editor, The Madeira School's Prudence". Washington Post. September 12, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  16. Gardner, A. (September 9, 2008). "Elite Setting's Property Debate: Fairfax County, Madeira School Clash Over Trail". Washington Post. Retrieved September 9, 2008.
  17. "Women Who Change the World - The Madeira School". www.madeira.org.
  18. Andrew J. Cosentino (November 17, 1983). The Capital Image: Painters in Washington, 1800–1915. Smithsonian. ISBN 978-0-87474-338-8.
  19. Bayly, Anne Louise. "Oral history interview with Anne Truitt, 2002 April-August". Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
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