Colonial Williamsburg

Williamsburg was the thriving capital of Virginia when the dream of American freedom and independence was taking shape and the colony was a rich and powerful land stretching west to the Mississippi River and north to the Great Lakes. For 81 formative years, from 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the political, cultural, and educational center of what was then the largest, most populous, and most influential of the American colonies. It was here that the fundamental concepts of our republic — responsible leadership, a sense of public service, self-government, and individual liberty — were nurtured under the leadership of patriots such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, and Peyton Randolph. Near the end of the Revolutionary War and through the influence of Thomas Jefferson, the seat of government of Virginia was moved up the peninsula to the safer and more centrally located city of Richmond. For nearly a century and a half afterward, Williamsburg was a simple, quiet college town, home of the College of William and Mary.

John D. Rockefeller began a project to restore some of the historic buildings in Williamsburg beginning in 1926. He gave it his personal leadership until his death in 1960, and it was his quiet generosity of spirit and uncompromising ethic of excellence that guided and still dominates its development. What began as a modest project grew to the preservation of more than 80 of the original structures, the reconstruction of many buildings, and also the construction of extensive facilities to accommodate the visiting public.

We arrived for the day, although the motto is, "It's nearly impossible to see Colonial Williamsburg in a day." The first thing we saw was a reenactment of the reading of the Declaration of Independence to the people of Williamsburg on July 5, 1776. To this day, they are still powerful words!

We watched the printer in the printing office print the newsletter.

We watched the blacksmith working on a hatchet.

We talked with the milliner (hat maker and tailor) talk about men's waistcoats and how the majority of the people would have had their clothes made by a professional instead of doing it themselves.

The wig maker explained how it was the style of the day for men and women to wear their hair long. She asked Nicholas if he was a criminal because he had short hair, and she asked me if I was a harlot because I was not wearing my hair up in a bun.

We watched the silversmith making a bowl.

We visited the apothecary shop.

We visited the reconstructed Public State Hospital.

This is what the room of an inmate would have looked like in the 1700s.

This is what the room of a patient would have looked like in the 1800s.

We took a 30 minute tour of the Capitol and learned about the Williamsburg on the eve of the Revolution.

This is the map of Virginia according to the British on the eve of the Revolution. Basically, everything to the Pacific Ocean was "Virginia."

This is a pretty caterpillar we saw. We also saw a beautiful butterfly that came from this type of caterpillar.

This is a big ol' Magnolia tree I took a picture of for my mom because she loves them.