William & Mary

Campus Prints of William & Mary College – Williamsburg, Virginia

The Sir Christopher Wren building, constructed between 1695 and 1699, is the oldest college building in the United States and the oldest of the reconstructed buildings in Williamsburg. First known as “The College”, the building was renamed in this century for the famous English architect to whom the design is attributed. The building burned in 1705 and was rebuilt by 1716. Although incorporating much of its original walls, it differed from the previous structure. Fire again consumed the building in 1859 and a third time in 1862, when Federal troops quartered in Williamsburg set fire to it. The Wren Building was again rebuilt and the college reopened in 1869.