Evening star., 1934-11-12
CONVENT MARKS
ITS FOUNDING
Georgetown Institution Also
Commentaries Maryland
Tercentenary.

The pupils and sisterhood of the
Georgetown Visitation Convent yes
terday celebrated the 135th ami
versary of their institution and COM
memorated the tercentenary of the
State of Maryland with the pageant,
1.-THE Making of Maryland"
Presented in the Odeon of the main
building under the direction of Mrs.
Marie Moore Forrest, the scenes de-
picted the receiving of the charter of
Maryland, the landing of the colonists
of the Ark" on st. Clements Island
and other events connected with the
establishment of the "Old Line" State.
The pageant was written by an
alumnus of the institution, Miss Mary
Olive OConnell of the class of '33.
Some 40 students of the high school
class participated in the event.
Names of Interest.
The history of the Georgetown
Visitation Convent has long been
allied with that of Maryland. Founded
in 1899 by Rev. Leonard Neale, second
Archbishop of Baltimore, its roster of
sisterhood and student body has al
ways contained names of interest
since the first days of the colony, such
as, Carroll, Spaulding, Stonestreet,
Brent, Fenwick, Lee, GreenWell, Jen-
kins and others. Archbishop Neale
was the great-grandson of Anne Neale,
one of the passengers on the historic
Ark.
In the beginning, the school pos
sessed only few lots of land on the
corner of what was then known as
Fayette street. The present building
and lot site still bears the name of
Fayette street high on its side. The
street is now known as P street. In
1840, the convent acquired the old
Threlkeld estate of some 40 acres.
Today its grounds extend from
Thirty-fifth street to the Georgetown
University and from P street to Resor-
voir road. On Thirty-fifth street two
large red brick buildings flank the
chapel which was consecrated in 1922.
None of the original edifices that were
on the property when the convent was
established remains today, for in keep
ing with the policy of assimilating the
best of the requirements of modern
education, many improvements have
been made, leaving none of the first
houses.
New Gym Being Built.
At the present a gymnasium built
in the Colonial style is being erected
on the campus facing Thirty fifth
street. It is expected to be completed
around the first of December. This
new building is the gift of the alumnae
of the school.
Many art treasures, the gifts of
friends and patrons, have enriched
the furnishings of the convent. The
altar piece, representing the Gospel
scene of Mary and Martha, was paint
ed for Charles x of France. On the
walls of the main building are hung
oil paintings donated by Gen. Meade
and Gen. Butler, whose daughters
were at one time students there.
Among its tokens of friendship is
one of the first five medals, struck
by order of Pope Plus XI, to COM
memorate the founding of Vatican
City. 1t is the gift of the former
Apostolic Delegate from Rome.
Among the past members of the
alumnae are Ellen Ewing, daughter
Of the First Secretary of the Interior
and wife of Gen. William Tecumseh
Sherman; Harriet Lane johnson, who
presided over the White House during
the administration of her uncle, PreSi-
dent Buchanan, and wives and daugh-
ters of Stephen A. Douglas, Gen. Beau
regard, Gen. Joseph E. johnson, and
President Tyler's daughter Pearl. The
later members are no less notable, for
they include Mrs. Florence Hammond
Skae of Detroit, who lately received a
medal, Pro Ecclesia ct Patria, for
distinguished service, from Plus XII
Miss Eliza Scidmore, the friend of
Lincoln, who died in 1923, attended
here during the Civil War. She was
the first woman to be decorated by
the Emperor of Japan.