Richard Bland College Re-Opens Historic Building

Richard Bland College of William & Mary celebrated the re-opening of Commerce Hall, a former 1930’s hospital that became the first academic building on campus when the College opened in 1961.

The 16,402 square foot u-shaped residential building will bring the total number of beds on campus to 475. The 73-bed traditional style residence hall offers a variety of learning spaces and features a state-of-the-art common area space for student collaboration.

“Transforming this historic building into a modern residential facility marks a major step forward for Richard Bland College in achieving its strategic goals. This facility will enable us to meet the growing demand for student housing while, at the same time, provide flexible residential and learning space to advance new partnerships,” said Richard Bland College President Debbie Sydow.

The re-opening of Commerce Hall further enhances the College’s student experience. “Commerce Hall is exciting for students,” said Kayla Hand, student representative to the William & Mary Board of Visitors. “Commerce will serve as a hub for students to come together as a community, all bringing different backgrounds, talents and perspectives to share as we learn together. The repurposing of this iconic building is one more step forward as Richard Bland continues to help students to create their journey.”

Commerce Hall is nestled in the midst of the College’s historic pecan grove.