The Executive Director of Historic Campus, Susan Kern, and Assistant Director of Historic Campus, Jennifer Fox, are still staring at you as you press this water fountain on and off.

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"Did you know that this office was the original quarters of our first president, James Blair and his wife?" Jennifer Fox asks.

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No. You did not know that.

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"In 1702," Dr. Kern starts, "James Blair was living in this space when the grammar school boys were making a lot of noise at around midnight. In England, there's a common tradition called 'barring out' where students barricade classroom doors so that the Master cannot enter, signaling that it's time for Winter Break. So, James Blair is woken up because the boys have barred the Grammar School which is right across from where he lives. He gets out of bed and calls on his enslaved man to check it out with him. 

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Blair tries to reason with the boys, but they have pistols and they shoot at Blair, injuring his enslaved man instead of hitting their president.

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For months and months after the incident, James Blair complained that the boys got the pistols from the governor at the time, Governor Nicholson, who he didn't like and eventually did help get fired. In his mind, the boys crept out at night, went to the Governor's Palace, Governor Nicholson gave them guns, and they came back to kill James Blair. 

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Did you know that?"

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No. You did not know that.

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"And you wouldn't have known that if you weren't curious. We like curiosity. You should be a Spotswood society member."

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"Okay," you mumble. Yes. You should be a Spotswood Society member.

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Susan Kern and Jennifer Fox slowly close their door.