PIF) for INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES

D"HR_1 Vir~inia Department of Historic ReimurceR PRELIMINARY INFORMATION FORM (PIF) for INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES DHR No. (to be completed by DHR staff) _ _\ _~_'"t_ -_ 0_'2.._\_8__ Purpose of Evaluation Please use the following space to explain briefly why you are seeking an evaluation of this property. As part of the renovation of the interior of The National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, we are emphasizing the historical significance of the building to Catholics, the Historic Triangle Area and the community in Williamsburg and surrounding areas. We are interested in obtaining rehabilitation tax credits, if applicable, and promoting the site as a compliment to other historic area attractions. Are you interested in applying for State and/or Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits? Yes x__ No Are you interested in receiving more information about DHR's easement program? Yes No X 1. General Property Information Property name: ~T~'h~e~N~I=a1:1=·o=n =a=l~=~~~ur~L=a=d+y~o~f~W~als=in,g""h=a=ro Property address: 520 Richmond R ad City or Town: Williamsbr.n:g Zip code: 23185 Name of the Independent City or Counly where Lhe property is located: Williatnsburg Category of Property (choose only one of the following): Building X Site Structure Object _ _ _ 2. Physical Aspects Acreage: 1.22 Setting (choose only one of the following): Urban Suburban Town X Village __ Hamlet __ Rural__ Briefly describe the property's overall setting, including any notable landscape features: Situated on the southeast corner of Richmond Road and Harrison Avenue in the City of Williamsburg, the Shrine occupies a gently sloping comer lot with open lawn, ornamental trees, shrubs and brick pathways. The larger 1.22 acre property consists of one tax parcel and adjoins the campus of the College of William & Mary to the west and south. Institutional and residential buildings characterize the surrounding neighborhood while the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg lies roughly one-half mile to the south. The primary fas;ade of the Shrine faces Harrison Avenue, which forms the northern property boundary. To the east, the property is bounded by Richmond Road, to the west by College Terrace, and to the south by Bright Street. The Shrine has a deep setback from the sidewalk along Richmond Road. A "Memory Walk" of stones installed just after World War II to honor men and women who served their country, begins at Richmond Road and provides a pathway to the entrance at the northeast corner of the Shrine. Located to the rear (west) of the church is a paved parking lot which Department of I Iistoric Resources Preliminary Information Form 1 Rev. January 2017 9/19/2019 adjoins a two-story brick building known as the Saint John XXIII Center (previously the "Parish Hall"). This building occupies the westernmost portion of the property. 3. Architectural Description 1 Architectural Style(s): Colonial-Revival (Late 19'h and 20 h Century Revivals). If the property was designed by an architect, landscape architect, engineer, or other professional, please list here: Forrest W. Coile (1905-1994) and Ambrose Byron Williams (1893-1969) of the firms Williams, Coile, & Pepino and Williams, Coile, & Blanchard If the builder is known, please list here: Date of construction (can be approximate): 1932, 1956 addition, 2019 addition Narrative Description: In the space below, briefly describe the general characteristics of the entire property, such as its current use (and historic use if different), as well as the primary building or structure on the property (such as a house, store, mill, factory, depot, bridge, etc.). Include the architectural style, materials and method(s) of construction, physical appearance and condition (exterior and interior), and any additions, remodelings, or other alterations. In May 1932, Roman Catholic Bishop Andrew J. Brennan of the Diocese of Richmond acquired two parcels of land on which the Shrine and Saint John XXIII Center now sit. The southernmost lot was acquired by the Diocese from attorney Robert Southall Bright of Philadelphia. Bright was born in Williamsburg in 1872 and received a degree from the College of William and Mary in 1891 before establishing a law practice in Pennsylvania. The Diocese also acquired the adjoining parcel to the north in 1932 from the College of William & Mary. Built in 1932, the Colonial Revival style design of the Shrine was heavily influenced by the restoration architecture predominant in Colonial Williamsburg during the late 1920s through the early 1940s. An addition to the Shrine constructed in 1956 along with concurrent alterations to the interior and exterior continued this same architectural style. Sanborn Maps from 1933 indicate the design for the original building took the traditional form of a cruciform plan with transept and nave, with the altar located to the east toward Richmond Road and the nave to the west. The 1956 addition created a distinctly cross gabled building that still adhered to a cruciform plan. The Shrine is a one-story brick building laid in Flemish bond with glazed headers. The east gable end of the 1932 section contains a water table capped by bullnose bricks while a belt course of rowlock bricks encircles the entire building. A frame oriel bay with hipped roof that houses a statue of The Blessed Mother Mary projects from the east gable end of the 1932 section. The roof of the Shrine is clad with composite asphalt shingles with copper gutters and downspouts. Both the 1932 section and 1956 addition contain a modest dentiled wood cornice. A frame cupola projects from the roofline at the intersection of the 1932 and 1956 wings. The cupola was part of the original construction, but was mounted on a new tower during the 1956 modifications to the building. Three compass headed double-hung wood sash windows are located along the north and south elevations of the 1932 nave and are thought to contain hand-blown glass. A full brick arch with cast stone ends tops each window. Windows in the 1956 addition are primarily twelve-over-twelve, six over-six, or six-over-nine light double-hung wood sash with jack arches and cast stone sills. Architectural plans from the 1956 addition indicate that windows from the 1932 church were reused in the new construction. There are three public entrances to the building, one on the end of each transept (facing Harrison Ave.) and one which is handicap accessible from the parking lot. There are accessible restrooms near each Department of Historic Resources Preliminary Information Form 2 Rev. January 2017 9/19/2019 transept entrance that were added in 2019. There is an additional entrance to the sacristy on the west elevation of the building for use by clergy and staff. The interior of the church has tile floors in a black and white checkerboard pattern, wooden pews with kneelers (c. 1956), and an arched plaster ceiling. Partially comprised of Tennessee stone, the altar is elevated above the rest of the main floor. There is a small balcony in the rear of the original transept that was formerly a choir loft and now serves as the plenum for air return and is prepared to house organ pipes at some point in the future. There are several features in the sanctuary including Cherubim 1 candle holders from the 18 h century that were made in Europe, a hand-carved statue of Our Lady of Walsingham which was dedicated in 1942 and stations of the cross panels from the same period. The Shrine also has a basement level which includes an open meeting area, storage space, and restroom. We are currently undertaking a renovation of the interior as well as the supporting HVAC and Electrical systems which have not been significantly updated since the 1950's. The exterior renovation was completed in 2016 with new roofing, guttering and accessible entrances. Briefly describe any outbuildings or secondary resources (such as barns, sheds, dam and mill pond, storage tanks, scales, railroad spurs1 etc.), including their condition and their estimated construction dates. A Parish Hall, now known as the Saint John XXIII Center, was constructed in the late 1960's to house the expanding faith formation and evangelization efforts. Saint Bede Outreach grew out of these efforts and became the Williamsburg House of Mercy which occupies most of the space currently. In addition, the building houses the Catholic Campus Ministry for the College of William and Mary, which is the successor of the group that began in the 1920's as the Gibbons Society that petitioned the Bishop of Richmond and led to the creation of the church in Williamsburg. Department of I Iistoric Resources Preliminary Information Form 3 Rev. January 2017 9/19/2019 4. Property's History and Significance In the space below, briefly describe the history of the property, such as significant events, persons, and/ or families associated with the property. Please list all sources of information used to research the history of the property. (It is not necessary to attach lengthy articles or family genealogies to this form.) If the property is important for its architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, or other aspects of design, please include a brief explanation of this aspect. Even though the Catholic presence in the Williamsburg area dates to the 1550's and was also evident at Jamestown, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham is the first Catholic Church in the Williamsburg area. The church was started based on a petition by the Gibbons Club at the College of William and Mary to the Catholic Bishop of Richmond in the mid 1920's. The Gibbons Club, named in memory of James Gibbons, a Cardinal who briefly served as the Bishop of Richmond in the 1870s before moving to Baltimore was formed in 1923, initially met on campus.

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