History
1911–1950s: The Gunston Farm School
1911-1950s
- Founded in 1911 by Samuel and Mary Middleton on their farm along Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the school was born from their refusal to let their daughter Emilie receive anything but the highest quality education after contracting polio. They established a foundational philosophy that demanded rigorous academics balanced equally with character development.
- Early campus life was deeply communal, focusing on core fluencies in reading, writing, history, and arithmetic. French was prioritized as the language of diplomacy, requiring students to present annual plays in French at holidays and graduation alongside traditional Shakespearean productions.
- Athletics was almost exclusively focused on horseback riding, an activity Sam Middleton considered non-negotiable for building resilience: "One always re-mounts after being thrown by one’s pony or horse, no matter what the damage incurred in the fall." Students were also entirely responsible for helping to maintain the facilities and grounds of "The Big House."
- Following Samuel’s death in 1929, Mary "Aunt Mary" Middleton took over as sole Headmistress for the next 35 years. A bold, formidable diplomat with exacting standards, she single-handedly developed Gunston from a small tutorial school into one of the most renowned girls' boarding academies on the East Coast.
1950s–1990s: The Gunston School for Girls
1950s–1990s
- The school officially transitioned to an all-girls boarding structure in the 1950s. Following Aunt Mary's retirement in 1964 and a brief headship under Mrs. Okie, Headmaster Paul Long took leadership for nearly two decades, driving massive growth in enrollment, academic reputation, and physical infrastructure.
- Mr. Long inaugurated the dramatic annual yearbook delivery tradition, a surprise event where books arrived on campus by creative, unpredictable means—including fire trucks, airplanes, and even by parachute.
- This era established Green & White Days, a twice-yearly academic and athletic competition for a cherished silver cup. A foundational community rule was born: once a student or faculty member is appointed to the Green or White team, they—and any future family member—remain on that team until the end of time.
- The physical campus rapidly modernized to secure State of Maryland certification and full NAIS accreditation, building the Long Academic Building (1971), the Blackwood-Duffey Library and Auditorium (1980), the Vest Fine Arts Wing (1982), and the Field House (1989) under Headmaster J. Temple Blackwood to expand athletic programming.
1995–2011: Gunston Day School
1995-2011
- In 1991, under Headmaster Peter “Stick” Sturtevant, Jr., Gunston adapted to a nationwide decline in boarding schools by reincorporating as a co-educational day school, sparking a massive enrollment boom across six Maryland counties and Delaware.
- Under Sturtevant, the school launched its renowned Bay Studies program, capitalizing directly on its waterfront location to pioneer experiential, hands-on environmental learning within the Chesapeake Bay region.
- Headmaster Jeffrey Woodworth further stabilized the school's finances, added a competitive crew program, and launched an international recruitment effort to bring talented European and Asian students to campus. Following his tragic passing in 2009, the crew shell “Jeffrey C. Woodworth” was named in his memory, and the historic Middleton House was fully restored to serve as the admissions and administration center.
- Following an interim headship by long-time Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis, John A. Lewis, IV was installed in 2010 as the 8th Headmaster. He led Gunston through its Centennial celebration, completed a Master Facilities Plan, and secured certification as an official Maryland Green School.
2011–Present: The Gunston School
2011-Present
- In August 2011, the school dropped the word "Day" from its name to permanently unify its century-long identity under one title: The Gunston School. At this milestone, the community bid farewell to legendary teachers Tony and Sarah Everdell, whose combined teaching careers spanned seven decades.
- The school executed the $4 million Second Century Campaign, the largest capital campaign in school history, which fully renovated the Long Academic Building and transformed the original brick building into Everdell Hall—housing the state-of-the-art Alice Ryan Library, the Susie Konkel Atrium and Student Center, and the Vest Fine Arts Center.
- Launching a bold strategic plan to become an environmental leader, Gunston established its flagship Chesapeake Watershed Semester (CWS) in 2018. This high-level, credit-bearing environmental science and public policy program was housed on the upper floor of the Heron House, the former Headmaster's residence turned environmental education center.
- In March 2020, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic forced a historic pivot. Acting swiftly ahead of statewide mandates, Gunston’s leadership prepared the faculty for an immediate transition to remote instruction. Within three days of training, the school fully launched a comprehensive distance learning program, later executing a highly successful, phased, health-advisory-backed reopening plan in September 2020 that prioritized student wellness and academic continuity.
- Following the pandemic, Gunston experienced an unprecedented enrollment boom, with the student body growing nearly 80% since 2010. To accommodate this surging regional demand, the Board of Trustees approved a bold new Facilities Master Plan designed to create one of the premier independent school campuses on the East Coast, featuring blueprints for a new STEM Center, an Environmental Field Station, an Athletics Center, and a Performing Arts Center.
- This growth was matched by a monumental, two-phase land acquisition from the estate of Carter (Middleton) Bond—granddaughter of the founders. Closing between 2022 and 2023, the acquisitions added pristine forested, agricultural, and shoreline parcels, expanding the campus footprint by 114% into a magnificent, unified 75-acre waterfront destination.
- Entering its 115th academic year, Gunston launched the semester with a record enrollment of over 255 students hailing from eight Maryland counties, Delaware, and multiple countries across Europe and Asia. This milestone cements Gunston's status as a regional powerhouse where the founding 1911 vision of Samuel and Mary Middleton continues to thrive.