Ammendale Normal Institute
Encyclopedia
The Ammendale Normal Institute is a U.S.
historic location in Beltsville
, Maryland
. It was a school and novitiate
operated by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
. The Ammendale area is named after Daniel Ammen
, a local landowner and naval officer.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was used as a summer day camp for children.
The main building suffered a devastating fire in April, 1998. Its ruins stood until late 2006 when what was left of the building was demolished. The nearby St. Joseph's Catholic Chapel is a recognized historic site. There is also a parish cemetery and one for the Brothers.
adorn the eaves of the principal gable
front, the gothic-arch windows are filled with stained glass, and the interior walls and ceilings are sheathed
with pressed tin in a pattern of fleurs-de-lis, palmettes, and a rich, multicourse cornice
. A large cemetery adjoins the chapel.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historic location in Beltsville
Beltsville, Maryland
Beltsville is a census-designated place in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,691 at the 2000 census. Beltsville includes the unincorporated community of Vansville.-Geography:...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It was a school and novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
operated by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
. The Ammendale area is named after Daniel Ammen
Daniel Ammen
Daniel Ammen was a U.S. naval officer during the American Civil War and the postbellum period, as well as a prolific author.-Biography:...
, a local landowner and naval officer.
History
Also known as "Christian Brothers" and "Ammen Institute," this building had seen several uses over its lifetime. It is mainly known for being a sort of "retirement home" for aging and retired Brothers.In the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was used as a summer day camp for children.
The main building suffered a devastating fire in April, 1998. Its ruins stood until late 2006 when what was left of the building was demolished. The nearby St. Joseph's Catholic Chapel is a recognized historic site. There is also a parish cemetery and one for the Brothers.
St. Joseph’s Catholic Chapel
St. Joseph’s Catholic Chapel, built in 1880, is a front-gabled brick chapel with ornate Queen Anne detail. Jigsawn vergeboardsBargeboard
Bargeboard is a board fastened to the projecting gables of a roof to give them strength and to mask, hide and protect the otherwise exposed end of the horizontal timbers or purlins of the roof to which they were attached...
adorn the eaves of the principal gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
front, the gothic-arch windows are filled with stained glass, and the interior walls and ceilings are sheathed
with pressed tin in a pattern of fleurs-de-lis, palmettes, and a rich, multicourse cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
. A large cemetery adjoins the chapel.
External links
- Photos at Library of Congress, American Memory Project, Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record
- HMdb - Ammendale Normal Institute
- Information and pictures
- Ammendale Normal Institute, Prince George's County, Inventory No.: PG:60-4, PG:60-7, including photo, at Maryland Historical Trust website
- M-NCPPC Illustrated Inventory of Historic Sites (Prince George's County): Lost Buildings and Archeological Sites; Ammendale Normal Institute, 60-004, p. 201.
- M-NCPPC Illustrated Inventory of Historic Sites (Prince George's County): St. Joseph's Catholic Chapel, 60-007, p. 23.
- St. Joseph's Chapel, Ammendale Road, Beltsville, Prince George's County, MD: 10 photos and 3 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey
- Ammendale Normal Institute, 6101 Ammendale Road, Beltsville, Prince George's County, MD: 8 photos and 3 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey