Renovate Historic Campus - Wren Preservation
The Sir Christopher Wren Building at William & Mary is the oldest college building still standing in the United States and the oldest of the restored public buildings in Williamsburg. It was constructed between 1695 and 1700, before Williamsburg was founded, when the capital of the colony of Virginia was still located at Jamestown, and the tract of land between the James and York rivers which was to become Williamsburg was populated by crude timber buildings and known as "Middle Plantation.“
The Wren Building has been gutted by fire three times — in 1705, 1859 and 1862. Each time the interior of the structure was rebuilt, and for more than three centuries, it has been "the soul of the College." In the building, generations of William & Mary students have attended classes and lectures, enjoyed meals and attended chapel services. Classes are still held in the Wren Building, which also is home to several faculty offices.
Although the building has been renovated numerous times (most recently in 2001), the current project is the most significant preservation and restoration effort since the development and investment in the Colonial Williamsburg area between 1929 and 1932. The scope of work for the renovations of the Wren Building is informed by previous planning efforts and building studies. Preservation and restoration efforts of the building envelope, roof replacement and cupola restoration, installation of a lightning protection system, provisions of perimeter drainage, and addressing various water infiltration issues and their resulting damage will be addressed by the project.
What is the Wren Preservation project?The Wren Preservation project is a year-long effort to address moisture-related and maintenance issues in the nation’s oldest university building. The building will remain open while work takes place, which will range from replacing the nearly 100-year-old roof; to repairing gutters, stones, plaster, wood, bricks, and mortar; to waterproofing the foundation and installing a new in-ground drainage system. |
Why is it needed?Since it was restored to its 18th-century appearance in the late 1920s, the Wren Building has withstood damage typical of historic structures. Water has found its way through cracks and crevices, eroding brick, rotting wood, and rusting iron. While repairs have been made over the last 100 years, issues have persisted and damage has compounded with time. |
Why now? Why couldn’t we wait to start over the summer?Because of the degree of some of the damage, it’s important to begin the work as soon as possible. The work will require a full 12-months to complete and needs to be completed by spring 2026 in order to host events related to our nation’s 250th birthday. |
What is still happening in the building?Almost everything that would normally happen, including classes, meetings, concerts, ceremonies, receptions, office hours, and more. Construction activity will impose capacity limits on the Chapel and Great Hall during the day, but capacity constraints will be lifted most evenings once construction/renovation work has concluded. During certain limited periods, the Chapel and Great Hall will be unavailable. |
What about Commencement?The Wren will still play a key role in Commencement festivities, from bellringing on the last day of classes, to the Candlelight Ceremony in the Wren Yard, to passing through the building on the way to the Commencement ceremony. Fencing will make the building look different, but we’re aiming to keep things as normal as possible. Our historic preservation partners are very aware of the importance of cornerstone university traditions (Opening Convocation, Homecoming, Yule Log, and Commencement), and are eager to make sure they can include as much of the Wren as possible. |
How do we access the building?During the renovation period there will be three routes of entry to the building: the front door facing Colonial Williamsburg, the center sidewalk coming from the Sunken Garden through the courtyard, and the accessible ramp on the Jamestown Road side of the building. When any of those spaces go under repair (e.g. replacing stone steps), appropriate signage will direct visitors to the nearest entrance. |
How long will the fencing be up? How long with the project last?The fencing will be up for most of the work, which is expected to take about one year. Additionally, beginning in Summer 2025, scaffolding will be in place around the exterior of the building for the remainder of the year. |
Will the Wren Building remain illuminated at night during the preservation work?Because a major part of the construction work will involve excavating around the entire foundation of the building, we’ll have to remove the in-ground lighting for a period of time. Once the excavation work is complete, we’ll then be erecting scaffolding that will mask the building for the remainder of the project. The building will “go dark” as of mid-March 2025, but once the preservation project has been completed, you’ll see new-and-improved lights that highlight even more of the building. |
Project Details
- Project Number: 204 – 918678
- Cost: $10,164,000 (Construction Value) / $13,950,000 (Project Value)
- Fund Source: State (Pool Funded)
- Project Start Date: December 2023
- Construction Start Date: February 2025
- Finish Date: March 2026
- Project Manager: Matt Rossi
- Design Team: Glave & Holmes
- Contractor: Grunley Construction
Progress
Working Drawings are complete and a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) has been received from the construction manager. The project’s funding report has been updated to a revised total project value of $13.95M by the Commonwealth, and funding approvals are still in process. The desire of the university and the Commonwealth is that work is completed prior to the national Semi-quincentennial (250th) celebration in 2026, pending state funding and approvals.
Building Committee
Allie Mercer '25, NIAHD, Wren Building Proctor
Charles Fulcher, Director of Wren Operations
Dan Pisaniello, University Architect
Matthew Rossi, Project Manager
Maren Gibb '25, Wren Building Proctor
Michael Daise, Endowed Professor of Judaic Studies in Religious Studies
Sean Hughes, Chief Business Officer
The facade and roof of the Wren Building will be restored as part of the renovation project
The Wren's roof and cupola will be replaced and restored as part of the preservation project
Brick, mortar, stone stair details, and other elements of the Wren will be restored and preserved
