Our History

Through the school’s original building, the historic Manor House, Glenelg Country School has ties that extend all the way back to 1740, before the founding of our country. However, the original building bore little resemblance to the Manor House seen today, as in 1845, it was remodeled to resemble a Scottish castle and given the name Glenelg Manor.

 
More than 100 years later, during an excursion through the countryside, Mr. Gould came across an empty Glenelg Manor, lost in the pages of time. However, he saw its potential as the perfect location for a school. The founders promptly leased the Manor House and Glenelg Country School was born.

 
By 1963, interest in Glenelg Country School had flourished. The founders were able to purchase the Manor Home and 50 surrounding acres.

 
Students enjoyed an engaging academic program that fostered a respect and love for the environment around them – the same feelings that informed the architectural plans of the school through many years of growth.

 
With the addition of a gymnasium in 1979, a swimming pool in 1983, the establishment of an Upper School in 1985, a Middle School and Performing Arts Center in 1997, a Primary School facility opening in 2002, and a state-of-the-art academic and athletic center in 2005, Glenelg Country School boasts one of the best campuses in the Baltimore-Washington area. All this growth has been fueled by the support of our community, students, parents, and alumni.

 
From an initial enrollment of 35, we have grown to over 800 students with over 180 faculty and staff. The focus on individual attention – a continuous hallmark of the school – has kept the average class size at 15 students, with an overall student to teacher ratio of 7 to 1.