Campus Historic Walking Tour

Curated by Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

William & Mary is the second oldest institution of higher learning in America, dating back to its founding in 1693 by the Reverend James Blair who acquired the royal charter naming the school in honor of King William III and Queen Mary II of England. For over 200 years, academics on campus took place in the Wren Building, the main administrative building of William & Mary. Since 1900, the university has expanded to include 30 academic buildings on over 1200 acres of land in the historic city of

Williamsburg, Virginia.

Take a walking tour of campus to explore the history, people, places, and traditions of William & Mary through photographs.

Wren Building, Constructed 1695-1700

Generally referred to simply as the ‘Wren Building’ or ‘College Building,’ the Sir Christopher Wren Building is the oldest university building in the United States still in use. Tradition has it that it was designed in the style of Sir Christopher…

The Brafferton, Constructed 1723

The Brafferton Building, located on the south side of the Wren Yard and southeast of the Wren Building, was built by William & Mary in 1723. It was originally used as an Indian School and believed by some to be the first of its kind in America.…

President's House, Constructed 1732

The President's House, located northeast of the Wren Building and facing the Brafferton, was built in 1732 and has been used by every William & Mary president. It is the oldest university president's house in the United States. In…

Ewell Hall, Constructed 1925-1926

Ewell Hall, originally called Phi Beta Kappa Hall, is located on Old Campus at 221 Jamestown Road, across the Sunken Garden from Tucker Hall. It served as a memorial to the Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) academic honor society founded by five students at…

Washington Hall, Constructed 1928

Washington Hall is an academic building located along the south side of the Sunken Garden between Ewell Hall and McGlothlin-Street Hall. It is named in honor of George Washington, who received his surveyor's license from the university in 1749…

McGlothlin-Street Hall, Constructed 1993-1995

Dedicated on October 27, 1995, McGlothlin-Street Hall was first named Tercentenary Hall for William & Mary's 300th birthday celebration in 1993. Built at a cost of $9.5 million, the four-story structure occupies a site along the historic…

James Blair Hall, Constructed 1934-1935

James Blair Hall, known as Marshall-Wythe Hall until 1968, is located on the west end of the Sunken Gardens. It currently houses the Philosophy and History departments as well as some administrative offices. The building is named after James Blair,…

Tucker Hall, Constructed 1908

Tucker Hall is an academic building located along the north side of the Sunken Garden near the Wren Building. It was originally constructed as William & Mary's first dedicated library building and served as such until the opening of the Earl…

Sunken Garden, Constructed 1935-1936

The Sunken Garden, sometimes referred to as the Sunken Gardens, is an open area for the relaxation and recreation of our students. It is located to the rear of the Wren Building, running southwest. Architect Charles M. Robinson first designed the…

Lord Botetourt Statue, Constructed 1770- 1773

The statue of Lord Botetourt that currently stands in front of the Wren Building is a 1993 reproduction of the original located on the ground floor of Swem Library. One of the traditions at William & Mary is to dress up the statue for the…

Tyler Family Garden, Dedicated 2004

In recognition of the lasting ties between the Tyler family and William & Mary that span three centuries, a garden was dedicated at the university on April 30, 2004 just west of James Blair Hall. The Tyler Family Garden includes bronze busts of…

James Blair Statue, Dedicated 1993

The Reverend James Blair (1655-1748) was the founding president of William & Mary. A statue of James Blair was installed between Tyler Hall and Blair Hall during Homecoming Week 1993 as part of the William & Mary’s Tercentenary celebration.…

Thomas Jefferson Statue, Dedicated 1992

The statue of William & Mary alumnus Thomas Jefferson was given to the university by the University of Virginia to celebrate the connection between the two institutions and to settle an old debt. Jefferson attended William & Mary from 1760 to…

Jefferson Hall, Constructed 1920-1921

Jefferson Hall, constructed between 1920 and 1921, was built as a women’s dormitory and today houses co-ed undergraduate upperclassman located on Old Campus. The dorm is named for Thomas Jefferson, class of 1762. The dormitory opened in September…

Chandler Hall, Constructed 1930-1931

Chandler Hall is a dormitory located between Kate Waller Barrett Hall and Grace Warren Landrum Hall. The dormitory is currently co-ed but originally functioned as a women’s dorm. Upon construction, it completed the trio of women’s dorms which…

Kate Waller Barrett Hall, Constructed 1926-1927

Kate Waller Barrett Hall is a dormitory located at the eastern intersection of Jamestown Road and Landrum Drive. It was named for Kate Waller Barrett, an educator, humanitarian, sociologist, and member of the Board of Visitors, and was the first…

Grace Warren Landrum Hall, Constructed 1957-1958

Originally designed as a women's dormitory, Grace Warren Landrum Hall is located on Landrum Drive next to Chandler Hall. The Board of Visitors named the hall for Grace Warren Landrum, the dean of women and a professor of English from 1927 to…

Crim Dell, Dedicated 1966

The Crim Dell is a small pond located between old and new campus. The wooded pond is a favorite spot on campus for many, and most iconically for its bridge. The Crim Dell was dedicated on May 7, 1966, and was named for John W. H. Crim, class of…

Blow Memorial Hall, Constructed 1923-1925

Blow Memorial Hall was constructed between 1923 and 1925 following a gift to William & Mary from Mrs. Adele Matthiessen Blow in memory of her husband, Captain George Preston Blow, U.S. Navy. The building was referred to as Blow Gym at this…

Martha Barksdale Athletic Fields, Dedicated 1975

Martha Barksdale Athletic Field is located adjacent to Phi Beta Kappa Hall and the Integrated Science Center, at the corner of Jamestown Road and Landrum Drive. Named for Martha Barksdale, long-time Physical Education Professor and member of the…

Millington Hall, Constructed 1966-1968

Millington Hall was located east of Swem Library and was named for John Millington, a professor of Chemistry and Natural Philosophy from 1836-1848 and was the home of the Biology department. Construction began on Millington Hall in 1966 and was…

Andrews Hall, Constructed 1965-1967

Andrews Hall was named for the Reverend Robert Andrews, who served as professor of fine arts, moral philosophy, and mathematics from 1777-1789. It is currently home to the Art & Art History Department and contains the Andrews Gallery, a ceramics…

Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall, Constructed 1956-1957

Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall, also known as PBK Hall or Phi Beta Kappa Hall, is located on Jamestown Road between the Martha Barksdale Athletic Fields and the Muscarelle Museum of Art. The building is currently home to the Department of Theatre,…

Earl Gregg Swem Library, Constructed 1964-1966

The Earl Gregg Swem Library is located on Landrum Drive between Millington Hall and Small Hall. William & Mary has been consistently ranked in the top 10 in the Princeton Review rankings of best university libraries in recent years. The library…

Small Hall, Constructed 1962-1963

Small Hall is located on Ukrop Way between the Earl Gregg Swem Library and Jones Hall. William & Mary broke ground for the 778,000-square-foot building in August 1962. The building is named for William Small, a professor of Natural Philosophy and…

Jones Hall, Constructed 1968-1969

Hugh Jones Hall, commonly known as Jones Hall, is located on Ukrop Way between Small Hall and Morton Hall and houses the Office of Information Technology as well as the Math department. Jones Hall was constructed between 1968 and 1969 and opened for…

Muscarelle Museum of Art, Constructed 1981-1982

The Muscarelle Museum of Art is located in Lamberson Hall between Morton Hall and Phi Beta Kappa Hall on the new campus area of William & Mary. Its mission is to provide a rich cultural resource for the community and to pursue an active role in…

Sadler Center, Constructed 1990-1993

The University Center was renamed the Sadler Center in honor of Sam Sadler, class of 1964, M.Ed. 1971 and longtime Vice President of Student Affairs . The name change was announced during the Commencement ceremony on May 11, 2008. To make way for…

Cohen Career Center, Constructed 2009-2010

The Sherman and Gloria H. Cohen Career Center is located between Walter J. Zable Football Stadium and the Sadler Center. This is the first independent building for the Career Center at William & Mary. The center features an open reception area…

Lodge 2 (The Daily Grind), Constructed 1947-1948

Lodge 2 was constructed in 1947 as one of 11 housing units for fraternities as William & Mary's male student population expanded dramatically following World War II. The Daily Grind coffee house is currently housed in Lodge 2 and opened in…

Lodges, Constructed 1947-1948

With more students matriculating to William & Mary as a result of the end of World War II, a need arose for more student housing. The Lodges at the university were built between 1947 and 1948 and were rented out to fraternities. Located behind…

Sundial, Constructed 1975

The William & Mary sundial was probably made in London during the seventeenth or early eighteenth century and was most likely at William & Mary when it was chartered or soon thereafter. Subsidiary dial rings simultaneously give the local time…

Zable Stadium, Dedicated 1990

Zable Stadium is the main football and track and field venue at William & Mary. Before its dedication as Zable Stadium in 1990, it was known as Cary Field, Cary Field Stadium, or unofficially, William & Mary Stadium. It is located between the…

Campus Center, Constructed 1958-1960

The Campus Center, located at 104 Jamestown Road, is an L-shaped building situated between the Reves Center and Taliaferro Hall. It is the home of a number of administrative offices, including the Center for Student Diversity and the Dean of…

Commons, Constructed 1965-1967

The Commons, often referred to as the "Caf" by the students, is a large dining hall on Ukrop Way between the Randolph Complex and William & Mary Hall. The "Caf" is the university’s only free-standing dining facility. The…

Integrated Science Center, Constructed 2006-2016

The Integrated Science Center, also known as the ISC, is located between where Millington Hall used to stand and the Jamestown Residences on Martha Barksdale Athletic Field. Built at a cost of $128.4 million, the facility was constructed to help…

Alan B. Miller Hall, Constructed 2007-2009

Alan B. Miller Hall, commonly known as Miller Hall, is located at the corner of Ukrop Way and Jamestown Road and is home to the Mason School of Business. The groundbreaking ceremony took place in March 2007, and construction was completed in June…

Lake Matoaka, Constructed Circa 1700-1750

Prior to the founding of William & Mary in 1693, Lake Matoaka was an open watercourse of streams and wetlands known as Archer's Hope Swamp. Sometime between 1700 and 1750, this original section of property was sold to a private landowner who…

Student Recreation Center, Constructed 1989

Built in 1989, the Student Recreation Center is available to all students, faculty, and staff at William & Mary, and features a gymnasium, aerobic workout equipment, free weights, a swimming pool, racquetball courts, squash courts, and outdoor…

William & Mary Law School, Constructed 1978-1980

The William & Mary Law School, also known as the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, is located east of campus beside the National Center for State Courts on South Henry Street. Before the construction of its present home, the law school was housed in…

Marshall-Wythe Statue, Dedicated 2000

A statue featuring John Marshall and George Wythe is located at the main entrance to the William & Mary Law School. It was created by Gordon S. Kray, class of 1973, and was a gift of Robert Friend Boyd, class of 1950 and J.D. class of 1952, and…

Lake Matoaka Art Studio, Constructed 1991-1992

The Lake Matoaka Art Studio is one of three buildings occupied by the Art department. The building overlooks Lake Matoaka and is comprised of a windowed teaching studio at each end, as well as five faculty studios. Students take courses in…

Cornelia Storrs Adair Hall, Constructed 1961-1963

Adair Hall is an academic building at William & Mary located next to the parking garage at the intersection of Ukrop Way and Landrum Drive. It houses an Olympic-sized pool, lounge, gymnasium, dance studio, classrooms, and offices for both the…

Admission Office, Constructed 1965

Located on Jamestown Road near the Campus Center, the William & Mary Admission Office welcomes more than 25,000 people to campus each year. This building serves as the starting point for the thousands of high school students and their families…

Alumni House, Constructed Circa 1850

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…

Jimmye Laycock Football Center, Constructed 2006-2008

The Jimmye Laycock Football Center, located northwest of Zable Stadium, contains a number of facilities that support the football program at William & Mary. These include meeting rooms, coaches' offices, lockers, an athletic training room,…

Reves Center, Constructed 1916

The Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies, commonly known as the Reves Center, is home to the office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs, the Global Education Office, and the Office of International Students, Scholars, and…

Student Health Center, Constructed 1972-1973

The David J. King Student Health Center at William & Mary is located on Gooch Drive, west of the Lodges. The Student Health Center provides a full-range of primary care services for full-time students and operates under the Vice President for…

Monroe Hall, Constructed 1923-1924

Monroe Hall, formally named James Monroe Memorial Hall, is a dormitory located northwest of Tucker Hall on the campus of William & Mary. It currently serves as a co-ed dormitory for freshman, including Monroe Scholars. It was named for James…

School of Education, Constructed 2008-2010

The School of Education was created as a distinct entity within the academic structure at William & Mary in 1961. In the early 2000s, the school's physical needs were so large that it had several locations on and off campus, and there was a…

Yates Hall, Constructed 1961-1962

Yates Hall is a freshman dormitory at William & Mary located on Ukrop Way behind the new Fraternity Complex. It was built in 1962 as the first of a series of men's dormitories and is named after the fifth president of the university, William…

Botetourt Complex, Constructed 1971-1973

The Botetourt Complex is a collection of small freshman dormitories located on Wake Drive across from Dupont Hall. This complex was originally built to be a new sorority complex but was rejected by the sororities and instead became language houses.…

Brown Hall, Constructed 1930

Brown Hall is a co-ed freshman dormitory located at the corner of Prince George Street and North Boundary Street. The current structure was built in 1930 to replace the original Brown Hall, which is now known as the Prince George House. Brown Hall…

DuPont Hall, Constructed 1963-1965

DuPont Hall is a dormitory located on New Campus at William & Mary. As many as 264 students can be housed in double suites on three floors. Until recently, the building served as a co-ed dormitory for freshman undergraduates. DuPont currently…

Bryan Complex, Constructed 1953-1959

The Bryan Complex is a group of dormitories at William & Mary located across from Zable Stadium and named for John Stewart Bryan, former William & Mary President and Chancellor. It houses 324 undergraduate upperclassman and consists of five…

Althea Hunt Hall, Constructed 1930

Althea Hunt Hall, a co-ed freshman dormitory at William & Mary, is located at the intersection of Grigsby Drive and South Boundary Street. It was formerly used as an infirmary and hospital. The building was completed by September 5, 1930, after…

Old Dominion Hall, Constructed 1926-1927

Old Dominion Hall is a co-ed dormitory for upperclassman at William & Mary located across from James Blair Hall. Old Dominion Hall was originally built as a men's dormitory, and the university planned for the rooms to bear the names of…

One Tribe Place, Constructed circa 1960

One Tribe Place is a co-ed dormitory at William & Mary that houses upperclassman. On March 22, 2013, William & Mary President Taylor Reveley announced the university would acquire the Hospitality House, a popular privately-owned hotel. On…

Ludwell Apartments, Constructed Circa 1935

The Ludwell Apartments, also known simply as "Ludwell" by the students and located at 100-700 Rolfe Road, are apartments leased by William & Mary and are considered on-campus housing. Ludwell is currently home to many…

Fraternity Complex B, Constructed 2012-2013

The Fraternity Complex is a 187-bed complex consisting of eleven 17-bed fraternity houses and a community building. Opened for residents in fall of 2013, this complex is located across the street from William & Mary Hall. As of 2014, this segment…

Green & Gold Village, Constructed 1965-1968

The Green & Gold Village is a co-ed freshman housing complex at William & Mary comprised of three buildings: Griffin, Eagle, and Lion. Up to 428 residents can occupy the complex directly across Ukrop Way from William & Mary Hall. The…

Randolph Complex, Dedicated 1980

The Randolph Complex, also known as the Randolph Residences, is a cluster of dormitories located east of the Commons on the campus of William & Mary. The dorms within the complex are varied in terms of their internal structure and include both…

Tribe Square, Constructed 2010-2011

Tribe Square, located across Richmond Road from Blow Memorial Hall, opened in the fall of 2011. Tribe Square is a mixed-use building that offers 56 upper level students a unique living opportunity at William & Mary. The first floor of Tribe…

Sorority Court, Opened 1929

Sorority Court is the complex of sorority houses at William & Mary. It opened in 1929 and is located on Richmond Road, with two of the houses facing Armistead Avenue. Residence is open to a limited number of upperclassman women in sororities.…

Fraternity Complex A, Constructed 2012-2013

The Fraternity Complex is a 187-bed complex consisting of eleven 17-bed fraternity houses and a community building. Opened for residents in fall of 2013, this complex is located across the street from William & Mary Hall. As of 2014, this segment…

James Monroe Statue, Dedicated 2015

The James Monroe statue, located outside Tucker Hall just south of the Senior Walk, was dedicated on April 23, 2015. The statue was a gift of William & Mary alumni Carroll and Patty Owen in honor of the class of 1962. The bronze statue shows…

Keck Lab, Dedicated 2001

Dedicated in October 2001, the William & Mary Keck Environmental Field Laboratory is an academic facility that provides instructional and research support for environmental programs at William & Mary and at the Virginia Institute of Marine…

Spring, Dedicated 1979

"Spring" is a sculpture by J. Seward Johnson that was installed at William & Mary in 1979. At some time prior to 1991, the letter held by the figure Tina in the sculpture was broken off. A transcription of the letter from…