Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum in the historic district of Virginia’s former capital city, Williamsburg. After the city fell into decline following the relocation of the Virginia capital to Richmond during the American Revolution, much of Williamsburg’s colonial history was in danger of being lost. In the late 1920s, a group of organizers led by pastor and historian Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin set out to restore and reconstruct historic Williamsburg to preserve its colonial legacy. Their efforts ultimately led to the transformation of a deteriorating section of the city into Colonial Williamsburg, a sprawling historic area featuring hundreds of restored and recreated eighteenth-century buildings, as well several key exhibition buildings such as the Capitol, the Governor’s Palace and Gardens, the Public Gaol (jail), and Raleigh Tavern. To elevate the experience, live re-enactors in period costumes portray townspeople who lived during Williamsburg’s colonial era. Also in Colonial Williamsburg are art museums, shopping centers, restaurants, and onsite accommodations.

Background

The story of Colonial Williamsburg begins with that of Williamsburg itself. In 1607, the original colonial capital of Virgina was established as Jamestown, the first permanent English-speaking settlement founded in the Americas. In the late seventeenth century, colonial leaders received permission from the Virginia Assembly to move the capital from coastal Jamestown to what was then known as Middle Plantation. Located about 5 miles (8 kilometers) inland and nestled between the James and York Rivers, Middle Plantation was considered a safer and more pleasant alternative to Jamestown. It was also decided that the new capital city would be named Williamsburg after the then-reigning English king, William III.

Williamsburg was laid out under the direction of Governor Francis Nicholson in 1699 and immediately became the new Virginia capital. It quickly emerged as the heart of Virgina’s economic, social, and religious life. Williamsburg was also an important hub of political activity during the American Revolution and as home of the prestigious College of William & Mary, a leader in education. Williamsburg was noteworthy for other reasons as well. The first mental health hospital in America, now known as Eastern State Hospital, opened its doors in the city in 1773. Williamsburg also served as a staging area for the Continental Army under the command of General George Washington ahead of the final American victory at the Battle of Yorktown.

Williamsburg’s long reign of public prominence ended abruptly when the state capital was moved again to Richmond in 1780. This led Williamsburg to once again be reduced to little more than a college town and rural county seat. In the years after the capital was moved, many local businesses either moved to Richmond as well or simply floundered. This marked the beginning of a decades-long decline that further damaged Williamsburg’s once sterling reputation. Over time, many of the city’s colonial-era buildings were altered, modernized, or even outright destroyed. Others were disused and neglected to the point that they were effectively in shambles. This all meant that, by the early twentieth century, Williamsburg found itself at significant risk of losing all remnants of its historic past.

Overview

In 1907, Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin, rector of Williamsburg’s Bruton Parish Church, led an effort to raise the funds needed to retore his historic church. Inspired by his success in this endeavor, Goodwin later decided to do something similar for Williamsburg itself. In 1924, he brought this idea to oil tycoon and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The two developed a plan to covertly purchase run-down properties in the city with the aim of restoring a large portion of the city’s early colonial area and turning it into a living-history museum. When their plan was made public in 1928, it received widespread support.

Colonial Williamsburg became more dynamic over time. Several public exhibition buildings were opened, starting with the rebuilt Raleigh Tavern in 1932. The House of Burgesses met to cast votes during the American Revolution in the original tavern. Other public exhibition buildings later added include the Capitol, the Governor’s Palace, George Wythe House, the Magazine, the Courthouse, Bruton Parish Church, and Richard Charlton’s Coffeehouse. Colonial Williamsburg also started featuring interpretations of colonial crafts in the 1930s. Demonstrations of crafts such as blacksmithing, silversmithing, and cabinetmaking were the first to be added. Other trades such as candle-making, spinning and weaving, barbering and wig-making, brickmaking, gunsmithing, carpentry, farming and gardening, and shoemaking were added later as well. In the 1970s, Colonial Williamsburg introduced costumed interpreters for the first time. These re-enactors served to bring the stories of Williamsburg’s colonial residents to life, including those of different classes, genders, and races. This unique aspect of the Colonial Williamsburg experience was expanded in 2005 with the introduction of the Nation Builders, a special group of interpreters who portray famous colonial figures such as Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, as well as an array of other lesser-known people who lived in or visited Williamsburg at the time. An increasing amount of focus has been placed on Colonial Williamsburg’s African American interpretation, which offers a look at the lives of the free and enslaved African Americans who once accounted for more than half the city’s population.

In addition to its other offerings, Colonial Williamsburg is home to two notable art museums, including the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. To make Colonial Williamsburg as alluring to potential visitors as possible, the area also features an array of dining and shopping options. Accommodations are available for visitors, most notably the Colonial Houses, a group of colonial-style houses furnished with period reproductions and antiques.

Bibliography

“Colonial Williamsburg.” Americana Corner, 2023, www.americanacorner.com/preserving-america/colonial-williamsburg. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

“Colonial Williamsburg.” Lonely Planet, 2023, www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/virginia/williamsburg/attractions/colonial-williamsburg/a/poi-sig/1128024/1315445. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

“Colonial Williamsburg.” Virginia Is for Lovers, 2023, www.virginia.org/things-to-do/history-and-heritage/colonial-williamsburg. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Greenspan, Anders. “Colonial Williamsburg.” Encyclopedia Virginia, 7 Dec. 2020, encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/colonial-williamsburg. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Hayhurst, Leigh. “A Brief History of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.” Culture Trip, 21 Feb. 2018, theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/virginia/articles/a-brief-history-of-colonial-williamsburg-virginia. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

“History.” City of Williamsburg, 2023, www.williamsburgva.gov/488/History. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

“History of Colonial Williamsburg.” Colonial Williamsburg, 2023, www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/about-colonial-williamsburg/history. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Schuessler, Jennifer. “Building a Better Colonial Williamsburg.” The New York Times, 8 May 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/05/08/arts/building-a-better-colonial-williamsburg.html. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.