William & Mary, Williamsburg agree to mutually beneficial land swap

The College Woods, adjacent to the William & Mary campus, are vital to science research and enjoyed by hikers and joggers. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

William & Mary and the City of Williamsburg today announced their intention to exchange parcels of land, mutually advancing the interests of both institutions.

The two parcels include an approximately 34-acre site owned by William & Mary behind the city's Cedar Grove Cemetery on South Henry Street and 24 acres owned by the city between the west boundary of the College Woods and Strawberry Plains Road. The city has agreed to pay surveying costs to help address a difference in value between the two properties.

Exchanging ownership will advance two goals. The city will have room to expand its cemetery, which is nearing capacity. William & Mary will add acreage to the College Woods for the first time in nearly 30 years. The transaction will help preserve College Woods - especially the environmentally sensitive South College Woods.

"It's a pristine research site, and it's important for us to protect the boundaries of this ecological preserve in South College Woods," said Sean Hughes, the university's chief business officer. "The City of Williamsburg has been an excellent partner, and the university appreciates the City Council and the city manager's willingness to work together with us on a solution."

"The agreement is especially fitting as William & Mary approaches the culmination of its Year of the Environment celebration," he added.

The W&M Board of Visitors approved the proposal at its November meeting. The city council voted Thursday to approve the exchange. The proposed transaction will also require approval by the governor.

Expanding Cedar Grove Cemetery

An expansion of the cemetery has been part of the city's Goals, Initiatives and Outcomes since 2015. The graveyard was first established in November 1859 and is the final resting place of U.S. Civil War soldiers and many longtime residents. But the 16.3-acre cemetery is currently approaching capacity. The additional acreage will increase the cemetery's ability to meet demand by more than 90 years.

"With this land exchange, we are able to expand Cedar Grove Cemetery to better serve the future needs of our community," Mayor Douglas G. Pons said. "This is an excellent example of what can be accomplished through collaboration. I appreciate the university's partnership and look forward to the positive impact this will have for both the City of Williamsburg and William & Mary."

Expanding College Woods

The land the university will receive will be added to the College Woods, which is used for a variety of recreational and educational purposes.

The College Woods was included in the 1693 charter that founded William & Mary. Part of the land was sold in the early 18th century and farmed by colonists. In order to support a mill, a creek was dammed, creating Lake Matoaka, now the oldest man-made lake in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In the 1920s, William & Mary re-acquired the land and lake. A decade later, the Great Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps created a trail system. Since that time, the woods have been used for research, teaching, hiking and running.

The woods contain a wide variety of plant and animal communities, with some trees more than 160 years old. Three streams drain into Lake Matoaka. The area has long been an invaluable resource to student and faculty researchers. Each year, the biology department offers courses that incorporate the woods into class activities. The geology department and the environment & sustainability program also use the woods as a living laboratory.

Susan Corbett, Communications Specialist

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