Washington Hall; academic building named after George Washington

Item

Legacies Classification
Memorial Structure
Memorial Type
Academic Facility
Memorial Context
Memorialized Subject
Washington, George
Title
Washington Hall; academic building named after George Washington
Background and Context
Washington Hall is an academic building that currently holds Modern Languages and Literatures and Anthropology departments. The building is named after George Washington, an enslaver. At the time of his death, George Washington enslaved over three hundred people. Although George Washington did not attend William & Mary, he did receive a surveyor's license from William & Mary in 1749. He also served as William & Mary's first American Chancellor from 1788-1799.

Charles M. Robinson designed the building and J. W. Davis of Newport News was awarded the contract. Construction, which cost $200,000, was completed in time for spring 1929 courses.

In the 1950s, William & Mary's education department held courses in this building. This is where Hulon Willis, Sr. attended education courses in 1951. In 1956, Willis graduated with his M.Ed. with a specialization in physical education. He was the second African American to graduate from the university.
Physical Description
This is a large brick building that blends in with the style of William & Mary's early twentieth-century campus. It was intended to serve as a companion piece to Chancellors Hall (formerly Tyler, formerly Rodgers), the building directly opposite the Sunken Garden. Built into a hillside, one must walk up stairs to enter the Sunken Garden side of the building.
Creator/Participating Person(s)
Robinson, Charles M.
Date created, installed or dedicated
1928
Funded by
William & Mary
Location: Institution, City, State
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Position: 3372 (22 views)