A Brief History

Lowell Street School began in 1965 in the Cleveland Park Congregational Church at 34th and Lowell Streets in Northwest Washington as a nursery school for a dozen three and four year olds. Kindergarten was added in 1975. In 1978, the school moved across Rock Creek Park to the Sixth Presbyterian Church on 16th Street, NW, and became known simply as Lowell School.

A new era began when 1st through 3rd grades were added between 1983 and 1986. With the purchase of the Himmelfarb Mansion a few blocks south of the Sixth Presbyterian Church in June of 1988, Lowell attained an important goal of owning its own property. This new campus, completed in October of 1989, became home for the Primary: Kindergarten through 3rd grade.

In 1991 the Nursery was renamed Pre-Primary to better reflect the range of age of its constituents and the important part its program plays in the scope of development of our students during their tenure at Lowell. Most students at the Pre-Primary continue through the upper grades.

With the purchase of the former Marjorie Webster Junior College, an 8-acre campus bordering Rock Creek Park, in December of 1997, Lowell was able to add 4th grade on the new campus in the fall of 1998. In the fall of 1999 the entire school moved to the present 8-acre campus at 1640 Kalmia Road NW, and we added 5th and 6th grades. With the larger campus, Lowell expanded the Summer Camp program and added Aquatics and Woodworking programs. The new campus and grades transformed the curriculum as did the addition of Environmental Science, Drama, and Spanish Programs.

Lowell has been led by three Directors in the more than 40 years of its existence. Judith Grant founded and directed the school for the first two years. Gail Shandler followed and served for 22 years, Abigail Wiebenson became Lowell's third Director in 1988. In July 2007 Debbie Gibbs became Lowell's fourth Head of School.