President's House
From Special Collections Research Center Wiki
The President's House was built in 1732 and has been the home of the presidents of the College of William and Mary. In fact, it is the oldest college president's house in the United States. The President's House is located northeast of the Wren Building on Richmond Road and faces the Brafferton.
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Overview
In 1781, during the American Revolution, the President's House served as Cornwallis' headquarters. It accidentally burned while occupied by French troops before the battle of Yorktown and was rebuilt with money from Louis XVI.
A memo reported in the William and Mary Quarterly notes that the dial post was placed in front of the house on April 15, 1815. The house's roof was damaged by a tornado in 1834. A porch was added 1848-49.
In 1862, during the Civil War, it was used as Federal Headquarters for the area. After a raid by Confederate General Mosby's men on Union troops in Williamsburg, defensive works were thrown up by the Federal troops across Old Campus in spring 1865 (see the Brafferton). The President's House was used in these works and some of its windows and doors were bricked up and loopholed. Total damage to the house during the war was $1600.
A wing added in 1867 made the house large enough to accomodate the professors. The roof was burned in 1879 due to a defect in the chimney. A new, wider porch with 2 windows was added around 1905. The interior was remodeled in 1919, at which point the faculty wing may have been removed. In 1922 the center halls and the third floor were gutted by fire.
On January 15, 1931, the President's House was turned over to the Colonial Williamsburg Restoration Project headed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., along with the Brafferton and the Wren Building, and all three were restored to their eighteenth-century appearance. The kitchen building was reconstructed for use as the President's study and library. The garage built by President Benjamin Ewell remained as a fire house. A new small, frame building was build near the kitchen for storing tools and fire apparatus.
A 1971-72 renovation made the third floor habitable, added central air conditioning, and made the basement usable. The renovation also included the addition of a half bath on the first floor, new closets, and the replacement of the electrical and plumbing systems.
The house is still used as the residence of the College of William and Mary's President.
Photographs
- "Buildings and Grounds--President's House," University Archives Photograph Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, The College of William and Mary.
- including circa l869-1874 (P1979.432), photo by D.H. Anderson, Richmond, Va. showing south porch with railing around top, wooden steps. Pickett fence around front of house. West wing.
- Pullen scrapbook, Acc. 1983.82/UA 5.076, has a photo of the faculty wing addition
1895--Catalog, p. 35
- 1899--Colonial Echo, p. 8
- 1901--Colonial Echo, p. 68
- 1903--Colonial Echo, p. 112
- 1905--Catalog, p. 12
- 1906--Colonial Echo, p.17
- 1906--Catalog, p.10 (new porch)
- 1907--Colonial Echo, p. 7
- 1908--Colonial Echo, p. 13
- 1910--Colonial Echo, p. 14
- 1922--Colonial Echo, p. 14
- 1924--Colonial Echo, p. 21
- 1926--Colonial Echo, p. 15, 16
- 1928--Colonial Echo, p. 19
- 1939--Colonial Echo, p. 19, 20
References
- University Archives Buildings File (2007). President's House. Earl Gregg Swem Library, The College of William and Mary.
In the News
External Links
| A Note About The Contents Of This Wiki |
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| Unfortunately, many of the early original records of the College of William and Mary were destroyed by fire, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. The information available here is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in the SCRC's collections and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the SCRC's access tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive. |
