Digging Backwards Through History Lights the Way Forward

'Groundbreaking' archaeological discoveries at W&M provide a deeper understanding and connection to the historic Williamsburg Bray School  

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Beneath William & Mary's Robert M. Gates Hall, archaeologists this summer uncovered a remarkable find: the near-complete 18th-century foundation of the Williamsburg Bray School. The Bray School, one of the oldest known institutions in North America dedicated to the education of enslaved and free Black children, operated on the site from 1760 to 1765. Its foundations were thought to be only partially intact.

Researchers also discovered a previously undocumented cellar, layered with centuries of artifacts. The discoveries provide a new portal into the site's past, providing a more complete story of the Williamsburg Bray School, its scholars and their impact.

"As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, William & Mary is embracing its role as a steward of the nation's origin stories – and as a catalyst for their expansion," said W&M President Katherine A. Rowe.

"The discovery of this cellar is thrilling," Rowe added. "The roots of our city and university entwine here. Every layer of history that it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic, from the Williamsburg Bray School through the generations that followed, up through the early 20th century."

Layered with history   

The foundation and cellar discoveries were first made early this spring by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (CWF) archaeologists conducting preliminary investigations for the Gates Hall renovation project. The W&M Real Estate Foundation is managing the renovation and expansion on behalf of the W&M Foundation. Since the spring, the W&M Center for Archaeological Research (the Center), under the leadership of Elizabeth J. Monroe and David Lewes, has expanded the excavation and led artifact recovery.

The cellar is sizeable: approximately 36 by 18 feet. Two distinct levels are emerging. The Center team has exposed the bottom of the cellar almost eighteen inches higher than the previous depth found by the CWF team. "It looks like the cellar was a partial cellar, and had different floor levels potentially," said Center Project Archaeologist Tom Higgins. "It's not a brick-lined cellar – it was probably dug soon after the foundations were laid."  

In addition to the foundation and cellar, their work is revealing a rich archaeological story that stretches from the 18th century to the mid-20th century: jewelry, slate pencil fragments, sherds of pottery and vases, buttons – the stuff of everyday life, the ephemera of history.

Each excavated layer reveals more discoveries. Among the recovered items are fragments of colonoware pottery – handmade ceramics often associated with sites of enslavement and Indigenous communities – as well as sherds of Greek Revival ceramics, glass, and decorative items linked to the women who lived in Brown Hall during the early 1900s. Before it was moved down Prince George Street in 1930, the original Williamsburg Bray School building housed Methodist women attending William & Mary from 1924-1930. These students were among the first generations of women to attend college in the U.S. The significance of these discoveries is amplified by the site's connection to the Williamsburg Bray School.

A favorite recovery of the team is a sherd of glass depicting Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, war and the arts.

The Minerva sherd juxtaposes with a piece of late 19th century or early 20th century flatware, painted with a Greek meandros pattern. "We know that the girls at Brown Hall were furnishing their dorms," Michele L. Brumfield, senior researcher at the Center, said. "So maybe they were bringing in things like this."  

The team is careful not to draw too many conclusions from what they are finding – yet. "It's early days," Monroe added. Once bagged and labeled, artifacts will travel to the lab at the Center for further study.  

Spaces of engagement   

Plans are underway to incorporate the archaeological discoveries, as well as photographs and other documents, into a permanent exhibit inside Gates Hall. The exhibit will be co-curated with members of the Williamsburg Bray School Descendant Community and other stakeholders. Their stories – once lost to the recesses of the cellar – will enlighten students and visitors.  

Other artifacts will be lent to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, where they will join additional items connected to the site for display at the Colin G. and Nancy N. Campbell Archaeology Center, scheduled to open in 2026.   

At Gates Hall, the intention is to outline the foundation of the original Bray School on the floor and, if possible, excavate a portion for display in the exhibit – reminders of the lives lived on the site. 

The renovation at Gates Hall, made possible by a $30 million gift from an anonymous alumna, represents William & Mary's commitment to addressing 21st-century challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration. The building will house the Global Research Institute, the Institute for Integrative Conservation and the Whole of Government Center of Excellence. Ann Marie Stock, presidential liaison for Strategic Cultural Partnerships, leads the collaborative efforts related to the exhibit. She envisions a portal which will shed light on those who traversed the site over centuries: "foragers and farmers, singers and soldiers, clerks and clergy, dancers, drummers, weavers, writers, teachers, learners, and so many others, all belonged to this community through the years."   

Maureen Elgersman Lee, director of the W&M Bray School Lab, part of Strategic Cultural Partnerships, sees new directions for her team's research: "This is exciting," she said. "What else are we about to learn? We are not done understanding the history of the Williamsburg Bray School, the history of Black education. We are not done learning the history of this area, and we are certainly not done learning the history of this country."   

SOURCE William & Mary