Monday, Aug. 21, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine LL.D. ’06 and Mark Warner LL.D. ’02 of Virginia announced that the National Park Service will be awarding $416,207 to the College of William and Mary for the restoration of the Sir Christopher Wren Building’s west steps.
The grant comes from the National Park Service’s’ nationwide initiative Save America’s Treasures Grants. It is funded by the Historic Preservation Fund, which pools money from federal offshore oil and gas leases. Tax dollars do not figure into the budget.
In a press release, Kaine and Warner expressed the importance of maintaining the historical legacy of the College through infrastructure renovation projects.
“As the oldest college building still standing in the United States, the Wren Building at William & Mary has served countless generations of students, faculty, and community members,” Kaine and Warner said. “We’re glad to see this funding, which will help restore and preserve this National Historic Landmark, headed to Williamsburg.”
In an email to The Flat Hat, the College’s Director of Media Relations Suzanne Clavet expressed the College’s gratitude for the National Park Services’ support.
“William & Mary is grateful to the National Park Service for their funding of this project and their recognition of the historical importance of the Sir Christopher Wren Building,” Clavet wrote. “The university also appreciates the support of Senators Kaine and Warner with this grant. With this award from the National Park Service, we can complete a full rebuild of the steps as part of the overall Wren work – which is the best stewardship action of this historic structure.”
Charles Fulcher ’99, director of Wren Building Operations and Events, evoked the building’s value to the College’s history and the steps’ crucial role in facilitating access to the institution’s vital community held within.
“The Wren Building is central to the William & Mary story,” Fulcher wrote in an email to the Flat Hat. “It exists both as an historic structure and also as an active and vital part of the W&M community. Every week, thousands of students enter the building along with countless visitors: for daily classes, receptions, meals, formal gatherings, concerts, services, and ceremonies.”
Fulcher also alluded to the Convocation ceremony, which welcomes first-year students to the College.
“When they enter the building, they most likely walk on these courtyard steps,” Fulcher added. “We need look no further than this Wednesday’s Opening Convocation Ceremony for a reminder of the role these steps play in the life of the university. As incoming students pass through the Wren Building and down the courtyard steps, they are welcomed into the W&M family, met with cheers, high fives, and raucous celebration. These steps are the single-most traveled surface in the building, and this restoration will assure safety, preservation, and access to the nation’s oldest university building for the next century.”
In total, the Save America’s Treasures Grant program will supply $25.7 million for 59 restoration projects across the country. Historical sites in 26 states and the District of Columbia will benefit from the initiative.
Since the grant program’s inception in 1999, over $300 million has been raised for over 1300 restoration projects nationwide. The program’s FY2024 budget of $25.7 million surpasses that of the previous year, which totaled $19.6 million and benefited landmarks across 26 states and D.C.
In a statement, National Park Service Director Chuck Sams celebrated the federal grant program’s 25th anniversary year, citing its remarkable contribution to preserving history.
“The Save America’s Treasures program began 25 years ago and continues to enable communities across the United States to preserve and conserve their nationally significant historic properties and collections,” Sams said. “It’s fitting to celebrate this milestone anniversary through a wide range of projects that help to pass the full history of America and its people down to future generations.”
The College will benefit from the National Park Service’s plan to give out $50 million dollars aggregated from public and private investments to protect the Wren and similar establishments.
The Wren Building’s west steps were first constructed in 1695 by enslaved people, and have served as a crucial functional component of the College’s flagship academic building.
Significant deterioration has accumulated since the steps’ last major restoration project, which spanned from 1928 to 1931. Since then, the College has only conducted minor repairs to address structural issues as they arise, making this project the first in nearly 100 years to entirely overhaul the design.
According to the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily, the new steps will be made primarily of Portland Limestone. The College will recruit professional stonemasons, historic brick masons and other specialized craftspeople to fulfill the project’s needs.
The College has yet to announce a timeline for the steps’ restoration. However, the recent grant comes in addition to the College’s existing Wren Preservation Project announced in August 2023, which will address structural deficiencies related to the building envelope, roof, cupola and water infiltration, among other issues.
Construction for the Wren Preservation Project is slated to begin this December over winter break and conclude in December 2025.
In a statement last year, College Associate Vice President for Business Affairs Sean Hughes shared how the Wren Preservation Project will be crucial to conserving the College’s legacy as a centerpiece of the greater American story.
“As we consider the significance of these university landmarks, especially as we prepare for the nation’s quarter-millennium, it’s important we address them comprehensively to preserve these national treasures for the next 100 years,” Hughes said.
Despite the breadth of renovations planned for the upcoming year, Hughes assured that the Wren Building will still be able to host the College’s trademark annual events.
“We understand the importance of these buildings to the university community and providing ample advance notice about any disruption or impact is a priority,” Hughes said. “It is our hope and plan for the Wren Building to be open during renovations for major events such as Convocation, Homecoming, Yule Log and Commencement.”
As for the disruption of student tours and other regular events at the building during renovation, Hughes emphasized that the community will be notified well in advance. Richard Childress ’26 is a member of the College’s Spotswood Society, which regularly gives tours of the Wren Building and studies its historical significance. Childress shared his enthusiasm for the Park Service’s funding, citing a long-term positive impact on the student experience.
“It’s wonderful to see such attention and funding being given for the preservation of the Wren Building,” Childress said. “Funding for this project is incredibly vital for the ability of current and future generations to learn, experience, and continue the story of America’s Alma Mater.”