W.M. Jordan Co. named general contractor for expansion of Colonial Williamsburg’s art museums

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has named Newport News-based W.M. Jordan Co. general contractor for a $40-million expansion of its art museums set to begin this week.

The museums – the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum and the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum – will remain open throughout construction.

The project will expand the museums by 65,000 square feet and create a new façade and entrance on South Nassau Street, among other significant enhancements.

“By more appropriately showcasing our outstanding collections and improving the visitor experience, we aim to attract more guests than ever,” Mitchell B. Reiss, Colonial Williamsburg’s president and CEO, said in a statement.

W.M. Jordan was the successful bidder among four competitors for the project, which is designed by New York-based Samuel Anderson Architects.

The museums are home to collections of American folk art dating from the 18th century through to the present day and British and American fine and decorative arts from 1670-1840.

The museums’ expansion and renovation represent primary capital priority of the foundation’s ongoing $600 million Campaign for History and Citizenship.