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Wren Building Preservation & Restoration

Award Winning Project: The preservation and restoration of the Sir Christopher Wren Building was awarded the 2026 Merit Award for Extended Use (Historic Preservation) by the American Institute of Architects, Virginia Chapter (AIA-VA).

The Sir Christopher Wren Building at Â鶹Æƽâ°æ 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 Â鶹Æƽâ°æ 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), this most recent project was 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 was 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 were among the items addressed by the project. 

Project Details

• Project Number: 204 – 918678
• Cost: $10,880,000 (Construction Value) /  $12,442,000 (Project Value)
• Fund Source: State (Pool Funded)
• Project Start Date: December 2023
• Construction Start Date: February 2025
• Finish Date: April 2026
• Project Manager: Matt Rossi
• Design Team: 
• Contractor: 

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