National Historic Landmark

U.S. Naval Academy

Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
66000386

About this property

The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a federal service academy adjacent to Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is the second oldest of the five U.S. service academies and it educates midshipmen for service in the officer corps of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. It is part of the Naval University System. The 338-acre (137 ha) campus is located on the former grounds of Fort Severn at the confluence of the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay in Anne Arundel County, 33 miles (53 km) east of Washington, D.C., and 26 miles (42 km) southeast of Baltimore. The entire campus, known colloquially as the Yard, is a National Historic Landmark and home to many historic sites, buildings, and monuments. It replaced Philadelphia Naval Asylum in Philadelphia that had served as the first United States Naval Academy from 1838 to 1845, at which time the Naval Academy formed in Annapolis. Candidates for admission generally must apply directly to the academy and apply separately for a nomination, usually from a member of Congress. Students are officers-in-training with the rank of midshipman. Tuition for midshipmen is fully funded by the Navy in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation. Approximately 1,200 "plebes" (an abbreviation of the Ancient Roman word plebeian) enter the academy each summer for the rigorous Plebe Summer. About 1,000 midshipmen graduate and commission. Graduates are commissioned as either ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps, but a small number can also be cross-commissioned as officers in other U.S. services, and the services of allied nations. The United States Naval Academy has some of the highest-paid graduates in the country according to starting salary. The academic program grants a Bachelor of Science degree with a curriculum that grades midshipmen's performance upon a broad academic program, military leadership performance, and mandatory participation in competitive athletics. Midshipmen are required to adhere to the academy's Honor Concept.

Location

Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
38.98550, -76.49019

Categories

MILITARYEDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Chase-Lloyd House
Colonial
0.3 mi
Peggy Stewart House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Hammond-Harwood House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Pinkney-Callahan House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Paca House and Garden
Industrial
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of the Severn 1655
1655Colonial
2.3 mi
Battle of the Severn (Maryland)
1655Colonial
2.3 mi
Battle of Severn (Maryland)
1655Colonial
2.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was U.S. Naval Academy listed on the National Register?

U.S. Naval Academy was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is U.S. Naval Academy?

U.S. Naval Academy is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is U.S. Naval Academy a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. U.S. Naval Academy has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for U.S. Naval Academy?

The period of significance for U.S. Naval Academy is recorded as the listed era.

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