The learning environment of the University of Mary Washington is further enhanced by the very location and physical characteristics of each campus. The University is named for the mother of George Washington, who lived most of her life in Fredericksburg and is buried near the Fredericksburg campus. Fredericksburg is a place of extraordinary historical significance in both the Revolutionary and Civil War eras. Indeed, the original campus is located on Marye’s Heights, a Confederate artillery position in the 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg, and major historic sites abound throughout the area.

The spacious Fredericksburg campus, located in an established residential neighborhood, is exceptionally attractive. Both academic and residential buildings, consistent in their neoclassical, Jeffersonian style of architecture, are interspersed along a wide brick Campus Walk that extends for more than a half-mile from one end of campus to the other. With vehicular traffic and parking confined to the edges of campus, the grounds offer extensive park-like space including substantial stretches of lawn and large wooded areas.

The Stafford campus (121 University Blvd., Fredericksburg, VA 22406) is located seven miles north of the Fredericksburg campus and situated on a wooded 48-acre site in the heart of one of the region’s rapidly developing business, technology, and residential corridors. The campus location, parking, and modern architectural design have been carefully tailored to maximize convenience and educational quality for working adult commuting students, while remaining faithful to the high aesthetic standards of the University.

A third campus (4224 University Dr., King George, VA 22485) is located near the Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Station. The UMW Dahlgren Campus Center for Education and Research is designed to support the education and continued professional development of the region’s engineers, scientists and professionals by providing educational programs and services to the Naval base and the surrounding community.

Two historic sites are also owned and administered by the University of Mary Washington: Belmont, the home of famed impressionist artist Gari Melchers, and the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library, located on the site of James Monroe’s Fredericksburg law office. Overlooking the Rappahannock River, Belmont is a carefully restored 18th-century house and early 20th-century artist’s studio, which now serves as a gallery of Melchers’ work. The James Monroe Museum illustrates and educates about the life and times of America’s fifth president and houses artifacts, an archive, and a presidential library. Working in conjunction with the University’s Department of Historic Preservation, the Museum promotes education in museum practice, research, public history, and collections management.