Founded by Lucy Madeira Wing (1873–1961) in 1906, the school was originally located on 19th Street near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C.

[7][8][9] The demographic breakdown of the 310 girls enrolled in 2013–2014 was:[10] The campus is on 376 acres (1.52 km2) overlooking the Potomac River (McLean, Virginia) and consists of 34 separate buildings.

Original buildings on the 1931 campus include Main, the dining hall, Schoolhouse, East, West, North, and South Dorms, the Land, the Annex (infirmary), and the two gatehouses at the entrance to the Oval.

[12] In 1991, Madeira gave a trail easement along Georgetown Pike and $89,000 for construction so that hikers could walk the Potomac Heritage Route without entering the main area of the campus.

In 2008, the Fairfax County government attempted to obtain from Madeira an easement near the Potomac River to permit the completion of a 100-mile (160 km) loop of walking trails as a condition of approval for the school's proposed expansion plans.