Our History

Our History

When the Wilsons opened their first summer camp in 1963, they did not realize the incredible journey they were beginning to provide a school where families and their sons could grow and succeed. That first summer, five boys received help with study skills and habits and participated in horseback riding, canoeing, and camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains. After three years of offering a summer camp, there was a demand from parents to expand beyond summer programming. Ahead of their time in the 1970s and 1980s, Bob and Libby supported students’ individual needs through specialized instruction, differentiation, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and art therapy, as well as clinical therapy and psychiatry services.

The first students boarded in the Wilsons’ home. However, as the number of students grew, farm cottages were renovated into dormitories, and a school building was constructed. Meals were served family-style in the “Main House” kitchen/dining area until the Keswick Depot was added to the school’s campus in 1995. Many additional upgrades and additions have taken place, including a gymnasium, outdoor black top, and soccer field. A new Academic Center and the Madison and Jefferson Dorms opened in 2008. In 2012, the Monroe Residence Center was built, adding a school library.

In 2016, Keswick School became a 501(c)3 non-profit. As part of this transition, the Wilson family divested from the school, and a board of trustees was created. This change allowed the school to focus on increasing access to enrollment through financial aid and on developing avenues of financial support that will ensure the school’s sustainability for generations to come.

In 2020, through the generous support of the Fitzpatrick family, the school began major renovations to our dining hall, now named The Fitzpatrick Depot. This renovation included a new state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, dining area, a conference  room, deck, and audio-visual system. 

Libby Wilson lived on campus until 2022 as an important member of the Keswick School community. After this, renovations began on the Wilson family’s former residence, which became the school’s new administrative offices. In 2023, Libby Wilson passed away, preceded in death by her husband, Bob, in 2012. Bob and Libby’s legacy remains a central part of Keswick School’s work, as it has continued to positively impact the lives of hundreds of families over its 63 years of service as an internationally recognized therapeutic boarding school.