College of William and Mary Bridge

by Norma Brandsberg

Title

College of William and Mary Bridge

Artist

Norma Brandsberg

Medium

Photograph - Photograph

Description

The grounds of the College of William and Mary has got to be one of the most scenic educational campuses in the United States. The W&M college is one of Virginia's premier educational public colleges.

On the campus is the Crim Dell Bridge, a wooden bridge on the College of William & Mary’s campus in Williamsburg, Virginia. Considered one of the College's most scenic areas, Crim Dell itself is actually the pond that the bridge crosses over, but the bridge is commonly referred to as Crim Dell.

The bridge was opened on William & Mary's first-ever Parents' Day in 1966. Davis Paschall, the College President at the time, had the idea to build a newer, more elaborate bridge than the bare, unpainted one that had previously occupied the spot. For a short time, the spot was considered to be the grounds for a new library, but was ultimately not built at that location. Crim Dell was funded by three primary sources: the 1964 senior class gift, a man by the name of David Reed Baer who was a friend of the College, and the family of John W. H. Crim. John was a distinguished alumnus (Class of 1901) of the College. Before this, the site had in fact been a gully in which passersby threw their garbage; the pond was created by artificially damming just below the location of the future bridge and remains a favorite place to pop the question.

On a mounted plaque near the bridge is a quote by Paschall to commemorate Crim Dell's dedication on May 7, 1966. It reads:

…that one may walk in beauty, discover the serenity of the quiet moment, and dispel the shadows.

Legend has it that a couple crossing the arched bridge while holding hands will be friends forever — but if they kiss at its apex, they will be lifelong lovers. Surrounding the Dell is a stand of beech trees that carries the carved initials of many couples hoping to fall into the latter category. Should that romance sour, one must push the ex-lover off the bridge to break the bond, or join those who venture the bridge crossing alone to face a lifetime of loneliness.

More of a debunked tall tale than legend is the supposed ranking by Playboy magazine of Crim Dell as the second-most romantic spot on American college campuses. Though ice skating and swimming in the Dell are now banned activities, one tradition followed by especially daring students stipulates that a dip into its murky water, jumping the wall of the Governor’s Mansion after hours, and running across the Sunken Garden (all accomplished sans clothing) is necessary to complete the fabled Ironman Triathlon before graduation.

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December 14th, 2020

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