Mary’s Walk Williamsburg
Points of Interest
The numbers below refer to the corresponding numbers on the maps
1 College of William & Mary
Chartered in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II of England
Claims three United States presidents as alumni: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Tyler
George Washington received his Surveyor License from the College.
1 Wren Building
The oldest college building in continuous use in the United States
Built in 1695 and originally known as “The College Building”, later named for Sir Christopher Wren, an English architect believed to have provided the plan for the building
Open to the public. The first floor contains a small museum, an 18th century classroom, the Great Hall with portraits of King William III and Queen Mary II, and the Wren Chapel with an 18th century organ (played for the public every Saturday at 10 am)
It suffered three disastrous fires, but each time it was restored within the original walls
1 Lord Botetourt Statue
Installed in the Wren Yard in 1993
Replica of the original statue of 1773 which is now preserved in Swem Library
Represents Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron de Botetourt, Governor of Virginia Colony 1768-1770
2 James Monroe Statue
Installed 2015, created by Gordon Kray
5th president of the United States, 1817-1825, alumnus of William & Mary
Born in Westmoreland County, Va., in 1758
3 Sunken Garden
Center of the “Old Campus” was constructed 1935-1936
Based on the design for the Chelsea Hospital Gardens in London, England
4 Tyler Family Garden
Constructed in 2004, commemorates ties of the Tyler family to The College of William & Mary
Bust of John Tyler, 10th president of the United States, 1841-1845, alumnus and later Chancellor
of William & Mary, born in Charles City County, Va., 1790
Bust of Lyon Gardner Tyler, 17th president of William & Mary, 1888-1919
Bust of John Tyler, Sr., alumnus, 18th Governor of Virginia, 1808-1810
Echo phenomenon when standing in the center of the memorial facing James Blair Hall
5 Sadler Center (200 Stadium Dr.)
Open to public, restrooms
Opened in 1994
Named in honor of Sam Sadler, Class of 1964, who served as Vice President of Student Affairs
6 Griffin Statue
Mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle
Installed 2019 on Tribe Plaza, beside Zable Stadium
The Griffin is the William & Mary athletic mascot, nick-named Revely in honor of a former
president of the College, Taylor Revely
Replica of a pair of griffin statues cast in 1861 for a palace in Berlin Germany
Chosen as the mascot because a lion appears on the Coat of Arms of King William and Queen
Mary, and the eagle is the national symbol of the United States, representing the U.S. presidents and other citizen leaders educated at William & Mary
7 Braxton Court
Developed and built by Robert Henry Braxton in the 1920’s
The houses were built for African American homeowners being displaced from the Colonial
Williamsburg restoration area
Original houses were rehabilitated in 2004 by the Williamsburg Redevelopment and Housing
Authority with the involvement of Bobby Braxton, grandson of Robert H. Braxton.
8 First Baptist Church (727 Scotland St.)
Built in 1956 at the current location by the African American Baptist congregation when their previous location was purchased by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
The congregation originated in 1776 when a group of enslaved and free persons met secretly in a grove of trees under the leadership of an itinerate preacher named “Moses”
The group organized themselves as Baptists under the leadership of Rev. Gowan Pamphlet 1781- 1807 and were offered the Carriage House on Nassau St owned by the Cole family as a meeting place
In 1856 a new brick meeting house was constructed near the Nassau Street Carriage House (currently a Colonial Williamsburg archaeological research site with the aim of recreating a replica of the meeting house)
The 1956 church on Scotland Street houses the “Let Freedom Ring” bell which was originally acquired by the congregation in 1886 for their previous church building on N. Nassau St. The bell tower became unstable and the bell was unusable for many years. In 2015-2016 the bell was restored and reinstalled with assistance from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
The Let Freedom Ring Foundation maintains a small museum in the church and provides tours and a film for visitors, as well as opportunities for them to ring the bell
9 Triangle Block (between Scotland St. and Prince George St.)
The Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial at the triangle block point commemorates the visit of MLK, Jr., to the First Baptist Church in 1962
Before redevelopment in 1982, the Triangle Block was the site of several African American businesses, including Mr. Williams’ Triangle Restaurant, Clarence Webb’s Grocery, Charles Gary’s West End Valet dry cleaning shop.
Also former site of Blayton Hospital established by Dr. J. Blaine Blayton, 1st Black physician in Williamsburg, which served African American residents of the Williamsburg area
10 Williamsburg Regional Library (515 Scotland St.)
Built in 1973
Three sculptures outside the library made by Willy Ferguson of Ferguson Metal Fabrication,
Staunton, Va.: a large open book, 2 books bundled with an old belt the way children used to carry library books, and the Armillary Sundial (interlocking metal rings forming a sphere around a gnomon rod, indicating positions of celestial bodies and the passage of time)
Bronze bust of George Washington near the main entrance, made by Avard Tennyson Fairbanks, given in 1999 to the City of Williamsburg to commemorate its 300th anniversary
Replica of the 1782 “Frenchman’s Map” of Williamsburg on the patio next to the fountain (original paper map preserved in Swem Library, College of William & Mary)
11 Stryker Center (412 N. Boundary St.)
Contains an Art Gallery open to the public, meeting rooms for library programs and community events, and the Williamsburg City Council chambers
Named for Dr. Henry M. Stryker who served as mayor of Williamsburg for 20 years, 1948-1968
12 Dora Armistead House (320 N. Henry St.)
Victorian style house located on North Henry St., 1⁄2 block from Scotland St.
Built in 1890 on Duke of Gloucester St. near the site of the Colonial Capital
In 1995 after Dora, the last of the Armistead sisters died, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation had
the house moved out of the colonial area into the neighborhood called Peacock Hill
On the National Register of Historic Places
In 2019 the house was purchased and a project to restore and renovate it was undertaken
The house is currently operated as Armistead House Bed & Breakfast
13 Matthew Whaley School (301 Scotland St.)
Built 1929-1930, Georgian Revival style, now serves as a public elementary school
Listed on Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places
The current Matthew Whaley School originally housed kindergarten-12th grade and was
operated by the College of William &Mary as a training school for future teachers
In 1955 it became a grammar school for K-5 when a new James Blair High School was built
Sculpture of a child in front of the school represents the school’s namesake, Matthew Whaley,
born in 1696 and died at age 9 in 1705. “Mattey” was the only son of Mary Whaley who ran a grammar school in her back yard and later established a free school for poor children in memory of Mattey. Mattey is buried in Bruton Parish Cemetery.
14 Governor’s Palace
Completed in 1722
Garden with canal designed by its first occupant, Governor Alexander Spotswood
Served as home for governors Spotswood, Fauquier, Botetourt, and Dunmore until 1775
Palace and garden admission free to locals with a “Good Neighbor” Pass
15 Compton Oak
Compton Oak, on Nicholson St. at Market Square
Found in 1937 by a CW arborist when it was a sapling growing in an undeveloped area near
Norfolk and transplanted in Colonial Williamsburg
About 88 years old, it is now 70 feet tall, 97 feet wide, with trunk 14 feet in circumference
Latin name: Quercus xcomptoniae, a natural hybrid of a live oak (Quercus virginiana) and an
overcup oak (Quercus lyrata)
Named for a Mrs. Compton of Natchez, Miss., when a specimen found growing in her garden
was identified as a unique oak tree species in early 1900’s
16 The Railroad Underpass
The underpass was built to enable pupils from Williamsburg to access Bruton Heights School without having to cross the railroad tracks
17 Bruton Heights Education Center (301 1st St.)
Located on the Colonial Williamsburg research campus across the railroad tracks from the colonial area
The original Bruton Heights School opened in 1940 as a K-12 school for the Black pupils living in Williamsburg and adjacent areas of James City County and York County during the segregation era, replacing a number of decrepit, unrepairable and overcrowded school facilities for Blacks
The school also served as the community center for Black residents of the Williamsburg area
In the late 1980’s the school was closed as new integrated schools were built for the joint
Williamsburg James City County school system
A room off the entrance lobby contains a small museum dedicated to the years it served as a
school and community center
Currently used by Colonial Williamsburg research and media staff
Other buildings on the campus include the John D. Rockefeller Research Library and the
Dewitt Wallace Collection Conservation building
18 Copper Fox Distillery (901 Capitol Landing Rd.)
Owner Rick Wasmund established the Williamsburg distillery (his second) in the former Lord Paget Motel (the first distillery is located in Sperryville, VA.)
The distillery uses Virginia grown grain to produce single malt whiskey using a unique process for maturing their whiskey with toasted applewood
One of only 5 distilleries in the United States that uses a malt floor to process the barley. Fruitwood is used in the kiln to smoke and dry the grain
Family friendly, open Sundays 12 noon-6 pm, tours of the distillery are available (cost $10), also available are bar snacks, cheese flatbreads, charcuterie boards, seasonal fruits, as well as teas and other non-alcoholic beverages
19 Virginia Beer Company (401 Second Street)
Opened in 2016 by Chris Smith and Robby Willey
Williamsburg’s second micro-brewery uses 5-barrel and 30-barrel brewing, and provides diverse
flagship beers as well as a changing mix of experimental small-batch beers
The founders of the brewery conceived of their tap room as a community gathering space and
the brewery is actively involved with an array of community non-profit partners
Food trucks are present many days
20 Colonial Capitol
Served as the center of British authority in colonial Virginia after the decision was made to move government activities from Jamestown to Williamsburg
Completed in 1705, and in order to prevent any disastrous fire, it was built with no fireplaces or chimneys
Later, when it was determined that important documents were deteriorating due to dampness, fireplaces and chimneys were added.
Burned to the ground in 1747 and was rebuilt and continued to be used by the Virginia legislature until 1779 when the government was moved to Richmond
Was later used as the Court of Admiralty, then as district court, as a “moot court” for law students to practice disputing “with elegance, method & learning”, and a military hospital
In 1832 it was burned down to the ground again.
Recreated in 1934 based on the 1705-1747 structure.
21 Raleigh Tavern Bake Shop (Duke of Gloucester St.)
Located on patio Behind Raleigh Tavern
Access also from Nicholson St through back garden
Fresh “ginger cakes” straight from the oven are available most days at around 10:00-10:30 am
22 Lumber House (122 W. Duke of Gloucester St.)
Currently it serves as the ticket office where one can purchase Colonial Williamsburg admission tickets, tickets for evening programs, Good Neighbor passes for Williamsburg area residents. Maps and monthly event schedules are also available
Lumber house is an old 17th century English term for a building used for storing surplus or disused articles (it was also a term used for pawn shops)
23 Powder Magazine (102 E. Duke of Gloucester St.)
Commission in 1714 by colonial Governor Spotswood and built in 1715 to store military equipment that was dispatched from London for the defense of the colony
Housed ammunition and guns as well as tents and mess kits
One of the 89 surviving 18th century structures in Colonial Williamsburg
Scene of the “Gunpowder Incident” of 1775 when Lord Dunmore, fearing a revolt, ordered his
soldiers to seize the gunpowder, triggering a protest by the citizens of Williamsburg
After the Revolution, the building was sold to a private owner, and over the years was used as a
Baptist meeting house, a livery stable, and for storage
Its wall partially collapsed in 1888 and that year the Association for the Preservation of Virginia
Antiquities purchased it and restored it.
In 2021 Colonial Williamsburg undertook a project to restore the Powder Magazine to its original
18th century appearance and to do archaeological investigations which have produced many artifacts from both the 18th century and Civil War eras
24 Custis Square Archaeology Project (S. Nassau St. at Francis St.)
Original site of the home and garden of John Custis, IV, first father-in-law of Martha Washington
In its day, the Custis ornamental garden was said to be remarkable
Purpose of archaeological project is to uncover early American gardening practices
25 Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg (301 S. Nassau St.) Free Admission
Houses the Abbey Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Collection and the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum which includes many antique furnishings, musical instruments, and other colonial era artifacts
Admission is free
Includes the Museum Café, open to the public for lunch
26 Bray School
Located on Francis St. at Nassau St.
One of the 89 original 18th century structures preserved in Colonial Williamsburg
Discovered on College of William & Mary property, moved to its current location and restored to
its original appearance 2023-2024
The Bray School was originally established by London-based Anglican charity “Association of Dr.
Bray”
Operated 1760-1774 as a school for Black children taught by Ann Wager
One of the earliest schools dedicated to the education of Black children in America
27 Midtown Row
Retail, residential, and entertainment center at Richmond Rd and Monticello Ave
Midtown Row Village Green, music events area
Murals on side wall of Food Lion Supermarket: by Silas Baker and by Britt Flood
Mural on side wall of Fed-Ex Office by Steve Prince
Mural on side wall of Marshalls by Ike Muro
Mural on wall beside Silver Hand Meadery by Emma Zahren-Newman
Numerous restaurants
Paved multiuse path along Monticello Ave. connecting Midtown Row to New Town
28 New Town
Retail and entertainment center
Fountain at end of Main St. in front of theater
Accessible from Midtown Row and School of Education via the paved multiuse path along
Monticello Ave. past the College Woods
29 School of Education
Built 2010 on Monticello Ave. on the site of the former Williamsburg Community Hospital
Connected to the main campus at Compton Dr. by a paved walkway and a bridge over College
Creek
Rain garden along the northeast side of the building
Besides degree programs for teachers and research in the field of education, it also houses for
the public the Literacy for Life program and New Horizons Family Counseling Center
30 Crim Dell & Wildflower Refuge
In 1964 an old, muddy lily pond was enlarged, renovated and landscaped
Named for John W.H. Crim, class of 1901
Asian-style bridge over the pond built 1965
Wildflower Refuge in the ravine beyond the pond contains rare native plants rescued from
construction sites. Paved walkways on both sides of the ravine
31 Young Thomas Jefferson Statue
Installed 1992, created by Lloyd Lillie, gift of the University of Virginia
3rd president of the United States, 1801-1809, alumnus of William & Mary
Born in Shadwell, Va., 1743.
32 Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved
Dedicated in 2022, bricks in the structure bear the names of enslaved persons who participated in the economy of the College during the first 170 years of its existence
“Sankofa Seed” sculpture by Steve Prince is a bird looking back, symbolizing learning from the past
Websites for additional information on Points of interest
William and Mary Campus
https://www.wm.edu/about/search
https://www.tribetrek.wm.edu W&M historic walking tour:
Scotland Street
https://firstbaptistchurch1776.org/index/history/ https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2c472e7ab8d54250a0b5ebae38920c0b https://www.wrl.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Whaley_School https://www.armisteadhouse.com/history
Colonial Williamsburg
https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/locations/governors-palace/
https://jccwmg.org/wordpress/the-compton-oak-2/
https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/research-and-education/architectural- research/williamsburg-bray-school-initiative/
https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/research-and-education/archaeology/custis-square- archaeology-project/
https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/explore/art-museums/ https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/DigitalLibrary/view/index.cfm?doc=ResearchReports% 5CRR0373.xml&highlight=negro