The Williamsburg Bray School was one of the earliest institutions dedicated to Black education in North America. From 1760 to 1774, teacher Ann Wager likely taught hundreds of students between the ages of three and ten. Students learned the tenets of the Anglican Church and subjects including reading, and for girls, sewing. The Bray School’s deeply flawed purpose was to convince enslaved students to accept their circumstances as divinely ordained. Hidden in plain sight on the William & Mary campus for over 200 years, the Williamsburg Bray School now stands in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area as the Foundation’s 89th original structure.
Other Experiences
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Visit with Ann Wager
Step into the past with Ann Wager, Educator of free and enslaved children. Through stories and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges she faced.
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Phil Hanley SPELLBOUND Comedy Show - GA
Join us for a hilarious and inspiring evening with acclaimed comedian Phil Hanley. All proceeds support Literacy for Life, a local nonprofit providing free adult literacy programs.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Historic Site: Peyton Randolph House
Take a guided tour to learn about the paradox of slavery in the Revolutionary period.
CW Admission
Handicap Accessible