Our Red Brick Heaven
a visual inventory of the
Sir Christopher Wren Building at the College of William & Mary
by Skip Rowland
Other titles by Skip Rowland Genesis Revisited I Am Here Because: Voices from Powhatan County This is My Town, These are My People In Our Backyard: Western Hanover County Our Red Brick Heaven, copyright © Skip Rowland 2014, all rights reserved. No portion or this book may be rerproduced digitally or in print without prior written authorization from Skip Rowland. Please direct all inquiries to: Skip Rowland Photography 9156 Tazewell Green Dr Mechanicsville, Va 23116 or email: skip@skippix.biz Please visit us on the web at www.skippix.biz and www.wmpix.org
Acknowledgements
I’m going to work backwards on this one. This book has been in the making for nearly four decades, and would not have been possible without the help of many, many people. Thank you, Dr. Susan Kerns, for unlocking the Wren for me to share with the world. Thank you, Louise Lambert Kale, for allowing me to believe this project was possible. Thank you to everyone at the Brafferton, the Muscarelle, the Alumni House, the Alumni Magazine, the Mason School of Business, the College, and Discovery, that have supported my work; while you are too numerous to name individually, know from the bottom of my heart that you are all appreciated! Thank you to all the supporters of wmpix.org! Thank you, Gordon McGregor, for the swift kick in the pants. Thank you, Nina, Lexa, and Beau! There are not enough words to express what you have done for me. Thank you, James Wallace, Dan Beatty, and Bob Brown for the mentoring, guidance, and encouragement. Thank you, Mom & Dad, for my first camera (as well as letting me survive my chilchood). Thank you Robert P. Hunt, for the opportunity! Thank you, Pattie Schutte ‘79, Anne Ray ‘79, Beth Winn ‘82, and Lucy Soles ‘82, for the leading me here. And lastly, thank you, Sid Brown ‘82, not only for suggesting I consider attending William & Mary, but for first putting a camera in my hands back in the fall of 1977. Skip Rowland, Class of ‘83 December 2014
Introduction This book started out as a simple fascination with the Wren Building. It didn’t take long for it to become far more reaching. The Sir Christopher Wren Building at the College of William & Mary in Virginia is the oldest academic building in use in the United States. The College was chartered in 1693, and construction of the building began shortly thereafter. Named for one of the most celebrated and prolific designers and architects of its day, its origin, if not under the pen of Christopher Wren himself, most decidedly was inspired and brought forth from his works. Like many Virginians, my first view of the building was from a elementary school field trip to Williamsburg. Even though I had the great fortune to return to the College as a student, I never had a class in the building. At that time the building itself was not central to campus activity, especially not to the extent it is today. Consequently, it has only been in the past 10 years that I have developed a relationship with the Wren; only more recently has my appreciation turned into an active curiosity. It started with a sigh-of-relief breather on a gorgeous, blue sky October afternoon two years ago. It was the Sunday after homecoming. The campus was empty and quiet, its denizens sleeping or studying, making up for time lost to a long weekend of celebrations. Having spent the better part of three days roaming the campus, commemorating the festivities for the Alumni Association and other university organizations and departments, I was also looking for some respite. I found myself in the Wren Yard, drawn to the ancient brick work. In the past, I might have walked on by, simply enjoying the building as being part of the view; but, for some reason, I was compelled to walk up and touch the walls, to contemplate the history of the single brick beneath my fingertips. And i started taking photos. Not just taking photos, but looking to describe for myself a building that was part of my life, yet unknown to me. Subsequent assignments have brought me back to the Wren and have occasionally offered opportunities to point my camera at her, but there has never been time for a concentrated exploration. Until now! This booklet is essentially the framework for a fairly ambitious, large scale project that will document and inventory the Wren Building from the crypts to the cupola, and everywhere in between, taking you to places you’ve probably never seen, It is my hopes that this photographic journey will help tie our visceral memories to the reality of what is the Wren Building today. So, without further ado, let the journey begin...
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