Historic Marymount

Historic Marymount
School

Take a tour:

  • Vintage Vehicle Tour
  • LeMay Private Tour
  • Historic Tour
  • Vintage & Historic Tour

Marymount was purchased in 1919 by the Sisters of St. Dominic in Tacoma, WA.  It was 100 acres with a farmhouse.  The groundbreaking was in May of 1921, and it opened as “Marymount Military Academy” on May 30th, 1923.  When the school opened, there were nearly 30 boys in attendance, though the number fluctuated over the years to as many as 120 students.  The Marymount cadets enjoyed an exceptional music program, and in addition to their choir, Marymount sponsored a band.  Once a week, the boys held a parade review, demonstrating the marches and drills they had mastered that week.  They also had a tradition of performing annually in the local Daffodil Parade.  A full schedule kept the boys active, from reveille at 6:40 am each morning until their bedtime at 9:00 pm.  This rigorous life proved beneficial to many students who went on to become successful in a variety of careers.  Marymount was run as a school until 1975 when the sisters decided to cease operations of the military school. By the 1980s, the upkeep of Marymount required more resources than the sisters could provide.  When the sisters solicited proposals from potential buyers, Harold LeMay’s was not the highest or lowest bid, but he was the only person who said he would preserve the property as long as he had the means to do so.  Today, Marymount is home to the LeMay Collections at Marymount with the goal of preserving and maintaining America’s artifacts for future generations.