Forest Glen was originally designed to be a luxurious summer getaway for the rich folks that lived in the DC city areas. They were marketed to be a cooler place where people can escape to during the warmer months. However, that idea flopped, so the owners decided to make the most out of their grand structures by establishing the National Park Seminary.

Also known as the Forest Glen Seminary, the huge property became a boarding school for girls in 1894. It ran for a good long time, until the World War II started and some general forcibly bought it and made it into the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

After the War, National Park Seminary fell into decay and disrepair until an organization of concerned individuals formed in 1988. They started restoring and preserving the property, but they still have a long way to go today.