Matthew A. Webster

Keynote Speaker

Matthew Webster is the Executive Director of the Grainger Department of Architectural Preservation and Research for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.  In this role he oversees the preservation of 604 structures in the National Landmark Historic Area, the 18,000 piece architectural fragment collection, and architectural research.  Prior to Williamsburg he served as Director of Preservation at Drayton Hall (1754) in Charleston, South Carolina.  He also served as Director of Restoration for George Washington’s Fredericksburg Foundation in Fredericksburg, Virginia where he oversaw the restoration of Kenmore (1770).  Webster sits on the board of Falmouth Heritage Renewal in Falmouth, Jamaica, and on the advisory boards of Preservation Virginia, Stratford Hall and Menokin, in Virginia and Drayton Hall in South Carolina.  He has consulted on projects throughout the eastern United States as well as internationally. He has taught at the University of Virginia and University of Mary Washington and lectures frequently on preservation, architecture, and history topics.