In 1774, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation to establish a school near “Ye Coole Springs” for the education of boys from St. Mary’s, Charles, Calvert, and Prince George’s counties, but because of the Revolutionary War and funding shortages, it did not open until 1797. The school earned an excellent academic reputation and added military training in 1852, and its alumni included three Maryland governors. Financial struggles led to its closure in 1976. The only original school building still standing is the White House (ca.1803), and other associated buildings include Dent Memorial Chapel (ca. 1883) and the Principal’s House (ca. 1948), now the St. Mary’s County Visitor’s Center. Its legacy continues through the Alumni Association, which awards scholarships annually to local high school students. In 1885, the State of Maryland opened the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home on the 126 acre campus with a mission of “serving those who served.” Reverend Hatch Dent, a Revolutionary War soldier and one of the Maryland 400 at the Battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776, later became an Episcopal priest and the first principal of the school, and Dent Chapel was built in his honor in 1883.