Sir Christopher Wren Building Restoration

G&H led a comprehensive restoration of William & Mary’s Sir Christopher Wren Building, the oldest college building still standing in the United States. Rather than returning the 330-year-old National Historic Landmark to a single period, the design team developed a preservation approach that respected the many generations of construction, repair, rebuilding, and stewardship embedded within its fabric.

Extensive investigation identified water infiltration as the building’s greatest long-term threat. G&H developed a holistic strategy addressing the roof, internal gutters and leaders, site drainage, foundation walls, and related moisture conditions while minimizing disturbance to historic materials. Guided by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, the team evaluated individual brick units, mortar joints, stone elements, wood components, plaster, roofing and the foundation to determine the least invasive appropriate treatment. Repair, consolidation, and stabilization were prioritized over replacement, allowing approximately 98 percent of the historic brickwork to remain.

Through detailed research, material conservation, and carefully integrated contemporary systems, G&H helped secure the Wren Building’s future while preserving the physical evidence and human stories accumulated over more than three centuries.

AIA Virginia, Merit Award, Extended Use – Historic Preservation, 2026