The Crim Dell bridge is a wooden

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

on the

College of William & Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

’s campus in

Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, United States and is considered one of the College's most scenic areas. Crim Dell itself is actually the

pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...

that the bridge crosses over, but the bridge is commonly referred to as Crim Dell. The bridge was opened on William & Mary's first-ever Parents' Day in 1966.''The Flat Hat'' online: Crim Dell – 43 years of tradition in history
Accessed April 25, 2008.

Davis Paschall Davis Young Paschall (October 2, 1911 – October 25, 2001) was the twenty second List of The College of William & Mary presidents, president of the College of William & Mary, serving from 1960 to 1971. Prior to that, he served as Superinte ...

, the College President at the time, had the idea to build a newer, more elaborate bridge than the bare, unpainted one that had previously occupied the spot. For a short time, the spot was considered to be the grounds for a new

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

, but was ultimately decided against. Crim Dell was funded by three primary sources: the 1964 senior class gift, a man by the name of David Reed Baer who was a friend of the College, and the family of John W. H. Crim. John was a distinguished alumnus (Class of 1901) of the College. Before this, the site had in fact been a gully in which passersby threw their garbage; the pond was created by artificial damming just below the location of the future bridge. On a mounted plaque near the bridge is a quote by Paschall to commemorate Crim Dell's dedication on May 7, 1966 (see picture). It reads:

…that one may walk in beauty, discover the serenity of the quiet moment, and dispel the shadows.

Traditions and urban legends

The Crim Dell bridge and pond, aside from being important facets of the College's campus, are also the center of several myths and traditions.

Lover's bridge

It is rumored that if two lovers cross the bridge together and kiss at the crest of it, they will be together forever.Aisledash.com – Most romantic places on Earth: Crim Dell
. Accessed April 25, 2008.W&M Alumni Magazine: The Legend of Crim Dell and other Campus Rumors
Accessed April 25, 2008. Another similar urban legend is that if someone crosses Crim Dell alone, they will always be alone.

Playboy Magazine's rankings

Tour guides at the College often tell prospective students that ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'' magazine once rated Crim Dell as "the second most romantic spot on a college campus" in America."the Flat Hat" online: Legends of the College's ancient campus
Accessed February 12, 2009. No one is entirely sure where, or how, this rumor started, but it has been confirmed as false.

Stage 3 of W&M's "Triathlon"

One tradition includes William & Mary's own version of a

triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the t ...

(aptly called "The Triathlon"). It is a set of three tasks to be completed by each student prior to graduation. These include jumping the wall of the Governor's Palace in

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location and ...

after hours, streaking through the Sunken Garden, and swimming in Crim Dell. The three tasks of the Triathlon do not need to be completed at the same time. However, some students choose to complete all tasks in immediate succession, all while completely undressed. This feat is referred to as "The Ironman Triathlon."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crim Dell 1966 establishments in Virginia Bridges completed in 1966 Buildings and structures in Williamsburg, Virginia College of William & Mary Pedestrian bridges in Virginia Wooden bridges in Virginia