American University Park in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
To the Rescue
Top of the Town
— Tenleytown Heritage Trail —
As people turned to hospitals for nursing care, the sisters explored expanding their convent for on-site care, but lacked the necessary resources. So they sold their building to the Embassy of France. The French International School held classes here in the late 1960s, followed by the all-girls Oakcrest School. In 2010 the Yuma Study Center planned to occupy the old convent, a city Historic Landmark since 2004.
Hidden from view to your right is Dunblane, one of the last remaining estate houses in Tenleytown. The Greek Revival style country retreat was built in the early 1800s. When fox hunting grew fashionable later that century, the house hosted the elite Dumblane Hunt (the name has two spellings). Eventually the grounds were sold for Immaculata Seminary, and the old mansion was adapted for elementary school classes. Today American University’s Tenley Campus enjoys the mansion and these historic grounds.
Ahead on your left is St. Ann’s Church, a Tenleytown institution dating back to 1866. This building, dedicated in 1948 as the church’s third on this site, is a fine example of the magnificent urban Roman Catholic parish churches built between 1900 and the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Erected 2010 by Cultural Tourism DC. (Marker Number 13.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Churches & Religion. In addition, it is included in the Tenleytown Heritage Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.
Location. 38° 56.773′ N, 77° 4.843′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in American University Park. Marker is on Yuma Street Northwest east of 42nd Street Northwest, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Washington DC 20016, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. On the Circle (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Tennally's Town: My, How You've Grown (about 600 feet away); Beer, Popcorn, and Penny Candy (about 700 feet away); A Spirit of Community (about 800 feet away); Birth of Tennallytown (approx. 0.2 miles away); Community Building Blocks (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Rest (approx. 0.2 miles away); And the Church Goes on (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
More about this marker. There are a number of photographs on the marker. Clockwise from upper right the captions read;
♦ “Home nursing from Sisters Stephanie and Mary of Incarnation, 1954, far left”, ♦ “and Sister Aloysious Barrett, left, 1940.”
♦ “Sister Cornelius Cremin, who learned lacemaking in Ireland, made this cap around 1940.”
♦ “The original modest St. Ann’s Church and hall, seen in the 1920s.” ♦ “The current church is seen under construction around 1947 at left.“
♦ “Gathering the hounds for the Dunblane Hunt, around 1900, above.” ♦ “A few years later, Chevy Chase Hunt members meet at the same spot.”
♦ The large photograph on the reverse (common face) of the marker is captioned, “The sisters of the Convent of Bon Secours, 1961.”
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2011, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,445 times since then and 16 times this year. Last updated on March 8, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 2, 2011, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 5. submitted on December 4, 2013, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.