The Gunston School

In response to the disabling effects of polio on their daughter Emilie, and their refusal to accept that she receive anything but the highest quality education, The Gunston Farm School was founded in 1911 by Sam and Mary Middleton on their farm along the Corsica River on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

The Middleton's held a strong belief in rigorous academics, coupled with the development of character as the two essential elements of a child's education.In addition, during its early years, Gunston placed a great deal of emphasis on the communal aspects of living and learning together, and the traditional curriculum focused on reading, writing, geography, and arithmetic.

One hundred and ten years ago, Samuel and Mary Middleton had a vision: to develop a school on the Corsica River that would provide students with a personalized and rigorous academic experience, a strong sense of community, and a focus on the balanced development of mind, body, and spirit. A century later, and now with a unique and innovative curricular emphasis on global and environmental leadership, these values still endure in our school.

The Gunston School offers an intellectually rigorous, highly personalized, and nurturing college preparatory educational experience. Valuing a healthy balance between mind and body, a strong sense of community, the creative process, and our connection to the Chesapeake Bay, Gunston strives to educate ethically and environmentally minded scholars, citizens, and leaders for our globalized society.

Gunston has a deep institutional commitment to supporting and sustaining a diverse, tolerant, anti-racist, and hate-free school environment. Gunston promotes an environment that values the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, and we seek to educate our community to expect, navigate, and embrace difference in a thoughtful and civil manner.

We are excited to announce Gunston's new community book club, TIDE (Talking about Identity, Diversity, and Equity). The TIDE Book Club is a part of Gunston's larger DEI Strategic Plan, where we aim to increase community engagement and discussion of topics related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.