History of King & Queen Apartments

historic downtown williamsburg apartments william mary college
A 1967 marketing photo for the King & Queen Motor Inn showing a typical unit.

Built in 1964 by brothers Phil and Whit Richardson of Toano, VA, the 26-unit, 2-building apartment complex is located in Historic, Downtown Williamsburg’s Architectural Preservation District next to the College of William & Mary campus.

Owned, managed, and maintained by Whit Richardson until 1994, the apartments were originally constructed as lodging property for travelers, tourists, and vacationers visiting Williamsburg and Colonial Williamsburg (aka “CW”).

king & queen sign
The original King & Queen Motel sign can still be seen from Richmond Road today.

As tourism to CW steadily grew, the demand for more lodging increased, and were built in the area to meet the increasing demand of tourists. Due to the location of King & Queen, Mr. Richardson changed his business model and began leasing the units on a monthly and yearly basis, meeting the demand of William & Mary students looking for off-campus housing. Today, we only offer long-term and mid-term leases, and do not offer nightly or weekly stays.

William & Mary Off-Campus Housing

Jon Stewart with friends at King & Queen in 1983 while attending the College of William & Mary. New York Post, March 5, 2006.
Jon Stewart with friends at King & Queen Apartments in 1983 while attending the College of William & Mary. New York Post, March 5, 2006.

Adjacent to campus, King & Queen Apartments has been a popular off-campus place for William & Mary students to live as it is located closer to some classes than many on-campus dorms.

About Us

We provide clean, safe, and convenient apartments to students attending the College of William & Mary.

King & Queen Apartments is professionally managed by One Door Realty, Inc. Since the beginning, King & Queen has been a family-owned business.

We are not a hotel. We do not offer nightly or weekly rentals. Residential leases only.

Whit Richardson, original owner of King & Queen, at the apartments in the 1980’s.