Madeira School


The Madeira School is a private, day and boarding college-preparatory school for girls in McLean, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1906 by Lucy Madeira Wing.

History

Originally located on 19th Street near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., it was founded by Lucy Madeira Wing in 1906 and moved to the Northern Virginia suburb of McLean in 1931.
Since 1931, its campus has grown beyond the original campus buildings—Main, the dining hall, Schoolhouse, East, West, and North South Dorms, The Land, the Annex, and the two gatehouses at the entrance to the Oval—to 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.
In 1980 the then headmistress Jean Harris was arrested for the murder of Herman Tarnower.

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 310 girls enrolled in 2013-2014 was:
The campus is on overlooking the Potomac River 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 the turning of 208 of Madeira's privately owned into public park land. In 1991 Madeira gave a trail easement along Georgetown Pike, as well as $89,000 for that trail construction to complete the Potomac Heritage Route without visitors entering the main area of the campus. 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 loop of walking trails as a condition of approval for the school's proposed expansion plans. This one-mile -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.

Notable alumnae