On October 29, 1900, Indiana Fletcher Williams died, leaving her
8,000-acre plantation estate and almost $1 million to create the Sweet
Briar Institute.
Later renamed Sweet Briar College, it was founded by Williams to honor
her daughter, Maria Georgiana Daisy Williams, who died tragically in
1884 at age 16. For over a century, Sweet Briar has recruited dedicated
faculty and staff to teach exceptional students. The school's
award-winning lands include old-growth forests, rare arboreal and floral
species, scenic hiking and riding trails, and two lakes. Complementing
these natural resources are beautiful campus buildings, many of which
are listed in national and state historic registers. Each of these
features is rare for a college campus; taken together, they compose the
rich physical and community heritage of a historic college that
celebrates its 115th birthday in 2016