Alumni House, Constructed Circa 1850
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The Alumni House, formerly known as the Bright House, is located at the intersection of Richmond Road and College Terrace near the north end of Zable Stadium. Since 1973, the building has housed the Alumni Association, and its rooms are available to rent for special occasions, such as weddings, dinners, and formal dances. David Turner's bronze sculpture "Canada Geese" graces the Alumni House side garden bordering Richmond Road.
The Alumni House was built on land purchased from William & Mary in 1847 by Samuel F. Bright. The building was constructed in the 1850s in the Italianate style featuring a prominent decorative gable. The university rented the house in 1919-1920 to lodge professors. In 1923, the university purchased 274 acres of the Bright farm surrounding the building but not the house itself. From 1925 to 1943, the building served as the Kappa Alpha fraternity house. William & Mary purchased the house in 1946 for use as a men's dormitory, and, from 1947-1971, the building was turned into faculty apartments. In 1972, the Alumni Association rented two apartments in the building with the idea of having all Alumni Association offices under one roof. A major interior and exterior renovation, the construction of a large addition and dramatic landscape improvements resulted in the present complex, dedicated in October 1975.