Evening star., 1936-05-03
Georgetown Has One of Oldest
Secular Communities in u. S.
Rich Heritage of Past Combines With
Modern Efficiency in Monastery
and Convent of the Visitation.

they had just heard sung in the
chapel by a priest who was the son of
a former pupil. the brother of another
and the uncle of third. Here was
glowing youth against the rich back
ground of the dim and rare old re-
ligious paintings which hung upon
both sides of this corridor.
Built in 1921, the chapel is the old
est extant portion of this religious
present buildings. The
chapel originally was shared with the
but with the schools
growth throughout the years. it has
been necessary to restrict its use to
its own needs. An iron grill separates
the non-teaching runs from the
students.
In the crypt below are the bodies
of Father Neale, Father Joseph De
Cloreviere, of Mother Teresa Lawlor.
first superior of this community and
of the 33 nuns who were associated
with its founding. When difficult
times fell upon this religious COM
munity after its first inception, 1t
was Father De Cloreviere who secured
fresh support and sustained the order
by carrying it on under conditions
that inspired STORY of Courage" an
account of the orders early days in
Georgetown. Written by Rose Haw-
thorne Lathrop, this volume is an in
teresting one. now unfortunately out
of print.
In the archives of the community,
as this combination of monastery and
convent is referred to by the men,
bers of the order themselves. is the
original plan made by Father De
Cloreviere as to how the various
buildings he envisioned should be
located, and the place of trees and
other paintings in the general scheme.
In the main his ideas have been
followed. When Count Sandwich, de-
scendant of the famous Earl OF
Sandwich, who originated the hot
roast beef sandwich, married Alberta
Sturges, a Georgetown Visitation Con-
vent girl, and came with her to see
the school. he greatly admired tiny
little old building, still standing, which
dates back to 1928.
Rich Historical Background.
There is perhaps no religious edu-
cational institution in the United
States which has richer heritage of
historical background, or one which
is at the same time more closely in
touch with modern educational the
ories. Past and present blend with
startling effect. Its school, referred
to as The Ladies Academy Of
Georgetown" in an old commence
ment invitation dated 1884. is today
a modern junior college on the ac-
credited list of the Middle States and
Maryland Association. The high
school course includes typewriting,
stenography and bookkeeping. Glass
rooms which look out upon unfor-
gettable vistas Of monastery garden
are equipped with movable furniture,
victrolaS and radios.
In the physics laboratory static
machine from Paris, with the date
1926 upon it. whose possession has
been sought by the Smithsonian In
stitution. stands side by side with
modern Crookes tubes, demonstrating
high-tension electricity and an air
reduction scientific apparatus which
shows the behavior of gases when
electricity passes through them.
A library that invites you to seek the
lore of the ages. with a nun in charge
to make your way easier if time
presses, houses its really choice COL
lection of modern history and bib
biography in marvellous old bookcases.
An electric elevator, run by low
voiced nun who conducted me about,
is the gift of a former pupil, Miss
Eliza beth Scott. She installed it that
reader access might be obtained to
the schools art department. which
occupies the ManSard roof area that
so attracts you before you enter the
building. Here the gray. green CELL
ing and walls, whose colorful harmony
was achieved by the nun in charge of
the art classes. prepare you for the
attractive productions upon which her
students are intent. One has a sense
of being up in the tree tops, as it
were, free to let ones artistic instincts
function. for without are century-old
sycamores and glimpses of far shori-
IONS unimpeded by city sky lines.
Students Give Concerts.
The schools assembly hall Is call the
Odeum. From its extraordinarily broad
stage, capable of accommodating
many harps and pianos. remarkable
Spring concerts have been given by
the schools students in music. Back
of it cyclorama of curtains has been
arranged to accommodate the room S
acoustics to sound pictures. Here
professional moving pictures are
shown twice week. The school also
has its own moving-picture camera.
Reels showing its own members intent
upon school and play-time activities
are greatly enjoyed. The most fun of
all is when the headmistress an
nounces, baby pictures tonight" "
which means that there will be
shown the infant pictures of old, old
grads and Of very new ones, side by
side, perhaps. with those of present
students from all over the United
States and many foreign countries
for the collection is constantly being
augmented.
From the schools dramatic depart
ment, pupils recently have found their
way to Walter Hampden's productions.
When Booth martryed the Great
Emancipator the daughters of Laura
Keene, the actress whom President
Lincoln had gone to see at Ford's
Theater. were students at the George
town Visitation Convent.
Imagine drinking milk from cows
that Craze in green meadows and
eating vegetables grown from a great
acreage within the confines of city
limits. This Is the privilege of students
at the Georgetown Visitation Convent
Within their school grounds they also
have their own golf course and hold
their own yearly horse shows. Tennis