History

Although the Jepson Alumni Center is a modern facility completed in 1997, its history dates back to 1915. In that year, William Lawrence Bottomley, the eminent early 20th-century New York architect, designed and built his first house in the Richmond area. The historic 6,000 square foot home was located just across the road from the University of Richmond, which had arrived in the neighborhood only one year earlier.

In 1995, neighbors and benefactors Mr. and Mrs. William H. Goodwin Jr. gave the Bottomley House to the University. The following spring, the University moved the house across River Road onto a one-acre site on campus. Renovations on the house began later that year and included the addition of a conference center, which enlarged the facility to its current 28,300 square feet.