Mount Vernon College,

The Mount Vernon Seminary began in 1875 as a private high school and junior college for women, founded by Elizabeth J. Somers. The first school of higher education available to women in Washington, D.C., Mount Vernon Seminary and College had five different locations throughout its history. From 1917 to 1942, the school was located on a 15.5-acre campus at Nebraska Avenue, NW. The buildings and layout of the campus were designed by a New York architect, Wesley S. Bessell. and the campus was formally dedicated on November 5, 1917. In 1942, the United States Navy took over the Nebraska Avenue campus to use its facilities for the war effort. The George Washington University initially affiliated with Mount Vernon College, and ultimately acquired the college's property and legacy in 1999.