Founded by Lucy Madeira Wing (1873–1961) in 1906, the school was originally located on 19th Street nearDupont Circle in Washington, D.C. In 1931, it was moved some 12 miles west to theNorthern Virginia suburb of Greenway, Virginia - later changed to the more recognizable town ofMcLean.[3]
In 1973, the body of 14-year-old student Natalia Semler was found bound and beaten on the school grounds.[4][5] John Gilreath, who had been convicted of a sexual assault at the school two years earlier, was convicted of her murder.[6]
The campus is on 376 acres (1.52 km2) overlooking thePotomac River (McLean, Virginia) and consists of 34 separate buildings.
Original buildings on the 1931 campus include Main, the dining hall, Schoolhouse, East, West, North, and 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.[11]
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.[12] In 1991, Madeira gave a trail easement alongGeorgetown Pike and $89,000 for construction so that hikers could walk the Potomac Heritage Route without entering the main area of the campus.[13] However, this trail was never completed by the park officials. In 2008, theFairfax County government attempted to obtain from Madeira aneasement 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 toGreat Falls National Park. The Madeira School declined this easement, citing concerns about safety and environmental impacts.[14][15]
