Immaculata Seminary Historic District | |
 WCL's Capital Building, the former Immaculata Seminary, from Tenley Circle in 2019 | |
   | |
| Location | 4300 Nebraska AvenueNW,Washington, D.C., United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°56′44″N77°04′50″W / 38.94556°N 77.08056°W /38.94556; -77.08056 |
| Area | 8.2 acres (3.3 ha) |
| Built | c. 1839–2016 |
| Website | Official website |
| NRHP reference No. | 14000209 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 19, 2014 |
| Designated DCIHS | October 27, 2011 |
TheImmaculata Seminary Historic District, commonly known asTenley Campus, is an 8.2-acre (3.3 ha) parcel of land, located off ofTenley Circle in theNorthwestWashington, D.C. neighborhood ofTenleytown. The site of Dunblane, an early to mid-nineteenth-centuryFederal/Greek Revival-style manor house, it was once part of a large country estate on the outskirts of the capital city, owned by a succession of prominentGeorgetown residents. From 1904 to 1906, the land was acquired by theCatholicSisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, who, for decades, operatedall-girlsprimary,secondary, andpostsecondary schools there under the Immaculata name, before being forced to shutter due to financial issues. Since 1986, it has been asatellite campus ofAmerican University, which purchased the site in part because of its proximity toTenleytown station on theRed Line of theWashington Metro. It currently houses the school'sWashington College of Law.
The district reflects Tenleytown's evolution from a ruralWashington County community to a densely-populatedstreetcar suburb, as well as the Catholic Church'srole in education, particularly of women, during the twentieth century. It was added to theDistrict of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in 2011 and theNational Register of Historic Places in 2014. Development of the site that took place preceding the law school's move in 2016 preserved the existing character of outdoor spaces and incorporated historic structures, including Dunblane and the original 1905A. O. Von Herbulis-designedseminary building, which has long stood prominently above passing traffic alongWisconsin Avenue.
Tenley Campus sits atop aknoll, fronting the western edge ofTenley Circle, at the intersection of Nebraska Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue, and Yuma Street NW inNorthwestWashington, D.C.'sTenleytown neighborhood. The eight-acre Tenley Campus is bounded by Yuma Street NW to the north; Warren Street NW to the south; Nebraska Avenue NW and Tenley Circle NW to the east; and 42nd Street NW to the west.
The block to the north is mostly institutional in character. It contains St. AnnCatholic Church and itsrectory, the formerConvent de Bon Secours,Janney Elementary School, and theTenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library, as well as the historicN. Webster Chappell House. The rest of the surrounding area is residential;American University Park is to the west, consisting almost entirely ofsingle-family detached homes.American University's main campus is about half a mile away, at the intersection of Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues.
In 1902, with the support of Father Joseph C. Mallon, pastor of St. Ann Catholic Church in Tenleytown, theSisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, an order ofreligious sisters based inIndiana, announced plans to open a religious school in northwest Washington on land purchased from St. Ann's rectory.[1][2] Two years later, another plot of land, this one across the street, was bought to spare the rectory from demolition.[3] The plans followed a request byCardinalJames Gibbons,Archbishop of Baltimore, for the establishment of a "select school for girls" in the District. A new building for this purpose was designed by architectAlbert Olszewski Von Herbulis, and, on July 2, 1904, thecornerstone was placed atop what the Sisters dubbed "MountMarian."[4][5]
The Seminary of Our Lady Immaculate – or "Immaculata," for short – was completed the following year. It was so named in honor of thegolden jubilee ofPope Pius IX'sIneffabilis Deus, which defined thedogma of theImmaculate Conception of theVirgin Mary.[6][7] On September 8, the school hosted Cardinal Gibbons, who blessed the structure and then helped conduct asolemn high mass at St. Ann's; a sermon written for the occasion was given by F. X. McCarthy of Washington'sSt. Aloysius Church.[8][7] Additional guests at the ceremonies includedBishop of IndianapolisSilas Chatard,PresidentDavid H. Buel ofGeorgetown University, and other representatives of Catholic churches and organizations from around the region.[9]Mother SuperiorMary Cleophas Foley, also present, received a congratulatory letter from CardinalSebastiano Martinelli inRome, passing along well-wishes on behalf ofPope Pius X.[7] In 1906, the Sisters purchased the rear portion of the block, consolidating the land that would later comprise the U.S. historic district.[10]
On December 8, 1955, the day of theFeast of the Immaculate Conception,Amleto Cicognani,Apostolic Delegate to the United States laid the cornerstones for three new buildings at Immaculata: Marian, Loretta, and Regina Halls.
In 1978, following the closure of Immaculata Junior College, American University began renting space in Marian Hall to address the need for additional student housing; shortly thereafter, they also started leasing Immaculata's gymnasium for evening use.[11] AU officially took possession on December 4, 1986.[12] After renovations were completed, the campus housed the university's Washington Semester andstudy abroad programs.[13]
Purchased in 1987 by AU, Tenley Campus was acquired to alleviate space problems at the university's main campus. This campus was popular with interns because of its proximity to theTenleytown-AU Metro station on theWMATARed Line. It was formerly home to theSchool of Professional & Extended Studies, including theWashington Semester Program, as well as University Publications, the Media Relations department, and theOsher Lifelong Learning Institute.
These offices and the buildings that housed them were largely demolished in 2013 to make way for a new home for theWashington College of Law. In 2016 the school completed a slew of new academic buildings designed by the architectural firmSmithGroupJJR, and the Washington College of Law formally relocated to Tenley Campus.
The new law school was formally dedicated on February 12, 2016. In attendance wereMayor of the District of ColumbiaMuriel Bowser andAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesRuth Bader Ginsburg, who gave the keynote address at the event.[21]
New and Renovated Buildings (c. 2016):
Tenley Campus's buildings are Gold-certified byLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).[23]
