Like a fine wine, the process of designing and creating residences out of a historic school gymnasium cannot be rushed, nor can the character and history that imbue it be replicated today. The style and character that emerge when designing a residence out of a historic structure is the equivalent of “finding” the statue of David within the marble slab. 

Coming home to this magnificent Greek revival building reminds you at every turn and detail of the rich history of the building and the campus of National Park Seminary, a former girls' finishing school. **

One hundred years ago students were conspiring in these hallways to meet boys and dreaming of dances and romances while lit by the sun pouring through the towering glass which now graces three levels of this one-of-a-kind residence. This is #203 in “the Gymnasium” at National Park Seminary. 

The owner may sense the squeak of sneakers, the thump of a basketball, a swoosh followed by the faint swell of cheers, horns, and clapping; basketball players one hundred years ago dribbled and shot from the very boards that are now the floor in the third level loft. Shelving reminiscent of grade school “cubbies” span the perimeter of the loft. Yesteryear they may have held a gym suit, socks, and sneakers; today, they hold a collection of books or “objets d’art” reminding the lucky owner of past travels, fond memories, and experiences. 

A library ladder that would have been a standard in a school library one hundred years ago ...