College Woods

The College Woods, located on the northwestern side of the College of William and Mary campus, originally totaled around 1200 acres when it was developed by the College and the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C) between 1933 and 1934. Dubbed Matoaka Park, the College Woods was intended for the enjoyment and education of both students and Williamsburg citizens. Over time, the woods have been used for classes in botany, biology, ecology, and ornithology. In 1934, Player's Dell, a retreat for concerts, plays, and other activities, was created next to Lake Matoaka. Walking trails, bridges, boathouses, and horse trails were added over time. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, a portion of the College Woods was cut down due to both the rapid construction of buildings on the New Campus and an infestation of beetles killing the majority of the pine trees in the forest (Buildings and Grounds--Lake Matoaka and Matoaka Woods, University Archives Subject File Collection). In the 1990s, with the development of Route 199 and Monticello Avenue, located just west of campus, the College tried to save the woods from further development by buying adjacent land and designating 300 acres of the College Woods as a nature preserve. [1]

Material in the Special Collections Research Center

• Search the SCRC Collections Database for references to College Woods or Matoaka Woods.
  • Board of Visitors Records, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, William & Mary.
    • Minutes, Meeting of the Board of Visitors, January 14, 1966, Selected in the William & Mary Digital Archive.
    • Minutes, Meeting of the Board of Visitors, November 20, 1965, Selected in the William & Mary Digital Archive.
    • Minutes, Meeting of the Board of Visitors, May 8, 1965, Selected in the William & Mary Digital Archive.
    • Minutes, Meeting of the Board of Visitors, September 11, 1965, Selected in the William & Mary Digital Archive.
    • Minutes, Meeting of the Board of Visitors, January 14, 1967, Selected in the William & Mary Digital Archive.
  • Office of the President, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, William & Mary.
    • President's Office File for Campus Trees, 1964-1966 in the William & Mary Digital Archive.
    • President's Office File for Buildings and Grounds Committee, 1965-1972 in the William & Mary Digital Archive.
  • University Archives Subject File Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, William & Mary

References

• Buildings and Grounds--Lake Matoaka and Matoaka Woods, University Archives Subject File Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, William & Mary.
• Marzoff, Melanie and Feldbaum, Maureen, 2002: Social and policy aspects of development in Williamsburg, College of William and Mary, http://www.wm.edu/as/kecklab/studentresearch/researchwm/02e/index.php, accessed 22 March 2011.

External Links

• SB 869 College Woods; transfer of property.
• Factors that Control Trail Conditions in the College Woods, Ryan McKinney (2002).

In the News

• Possible Sale of Woods and Lake Angers Many at William and Mary, The Virginian Pilot 4 November 1994; accessed 29 February 2008.
• "Hurricane Damage Leads to "Microburst" Research in College Woods", William and Mary News 22 January 2004; accessed 3 March 2008.
• Rare fish found in Campus Woods, The Flat Hat 2 April 2004; accessed 29 February 2008.
• "Dark clouds reveal silver lining in College Woods", William and Mary News 7 December 2004; accessed 3 March 2008.

Need help?

To search for further material, visit the Special Collections Research Center's Search Tool List for an overview of the Special Collections Database, W&M Digital Archive, Flat Hat-William & Mary News-Alumni Gazette index, card catalogs, and other tools available to help you find material of interest in William & Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center.

Questions? Contact the Special Collections Research Center at spcoll@wm.edu or 757-221-3090, or visit the Special Collections Research Center in the Earl Gregg Swem Library at William & Mary.

A Note About The Contents Of This Wiki

The information available in this wiki is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Unfortunately, many of the early original records of William & Mary were destroyed by fires, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in Swem Library's Special Collections Research Center and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the Special Collections search tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive.