The College of William & Mary is preparing to demolish a home that has stood on Prince George Street for more than 100 years.
On Nov. 21, The William & Mary Board of Visitors unanimously approved the demolition of the Braxton House at 522 Prince George St.
Vice President for Administration Anna Martin said the college currently has no plans to replace the building or pursue new construction. She also said the college did not plan on selling the parcel.
The Braxton House was built in 1910, and is currently included as part of a 2.980-acre parcel between Richmond Road and Prince George Street owned by the college since 1922.
The college did not need permission from the City of Williamsburg to demolish the house because it is owned by the state of Virginia.
Deputy Director of Planning Carolyn Murphy said William & Mary administrators met with members of the Architectural Review Board last Monday to inform them of the proposed demolition, and Martin said the city encouraged the move.
The house qualifies as an historic property because it is more than 50 years old. That historic status required the Virginia Department of Historic Resources to review the demolition plan. DHR approved the college’s request.
Recommendations from DHR are nonbinding, but Martin said it was unlikely the college would act against the department’s recommendations.
“If DHR recommended something different, we would take it seriously,” she said.
The Braxton House is one building on a college-owned parcel of about 3 acres that contains 18 buildings, the majority of which make up the college’s Sorority Court.
The most recent assessed value of the land and structures was $8,826,700.
Martin said the college hoped to have the Braxton House fully demolished by late winter or early spring.
