Picture the Brafferton, built in 1723 to house the College of William & Mary's Indian school, among the oldest buildings in Virginia. Likely constructed by Henry Cary, Jr., it was built to house the College's Indian school, endowed by funds from an estate purchased by the charity of Robert Boyle, the noted English scientist. Income from Brafferton Manor in Yorkshire, England, was designated for charitable and pious purposes and used to "civilize" Indian youth, prepare them for Anglican priesthood, and to produce interpreters and cultural liaisons who could aid Britain’s colonial expansion.
Part of that process was to strip Brafferton students of their native clothes and names, giving them English identities. The Indian Master lived in the Brafferton with the students and was permitted to take in white students whom he tutored for a fee. The Brafferton was set up with two main floors.
The Brafferton sits southeast of the Wren Building and faces the President's House, three buildings restored by the Colonial Williamsburg project during the early 20th century. Each of those Brafferton students lost a name and a set of clothes inside these two floors.