Archaeologists in Virginia recently announced new discoveries of the foundation of the Williamsburg Bray School, an 18th-century schoolhouse for Black children.
Announced by the campus of William & Mary, the foundations that were found were marked down as being nearly complete. As of this year, the foundations were thought to only be partially in place. The discoveries were made as part of a renovation project.
An undocumented cellar was also found by the archaeologists. The cellar reportedly measures 36 feet by 18 feet and is believed to have been built after the foundations were laid. Inside, they found a series of artifacts, including ceramics known as colonoware, Greek revival ceramics, as well as broaches and flatware with Greek-inspired patterns. The latter objects are expected to be from the female students who lived in the schoolhouse in the 1920s.
The objects will be sent to Colonial Williamsburg for their display at the Colin G. and Nancy N. Campbell Archaeology Center. The archaeologists plan to have the objects eventually returned for a permanent exhibit at Gates Hall.
“The discovery of this cellar is thrilling,” said the president of William & Mary, Katherine A. Rowe, per a statement. “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.”
Founded in 1760, the Williamsburg Bray School was established by The Associates of Dr. Bray, a charitable organization based in England. The opening was supported by the president at William & Mary and Reverend Thomas Dawson.
Archaeologists in Virginia have unearthed the foundation of the Williamsburg Bray School, an 18th-century schoolhouse for free and enslaved Black children. https://t.co/gojxJ7BDwb
— Smithsonian Magazine (@SmithsonianMag) June 24, 2025
Considered to be the oldest known surviving institution where Black children were taught, the Williamsburg Bray School was one of five Bray schools and is said to have taught over 400 Black children how to read, practice religion and needlework for the girls.
The schoolhouse was then converted into a private home before being added to the campus of William & Mary. It was expanded and converted into a student housing building before being relocated.
The latest finding fills in gaps in the school’s history, building on and providing more context behind the school’s initial operations, as well as other uses of the building.
“This is exciting. What else are we about to learn? We are not done understanding the history of the Williamsburg Bray School, the history of Black education,” said the director of the W&M Bray School Lab, Maureen Elgersman Lee. “We are not done learning the history of this area, and we are certainly not done learning the history of this country.”
