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When you think of the Revolutionary War and the colonies fight for freedom, what cities come to your mind? Most people go straight for Philadelphia, Boston, and even New York City. However, hidden in the eastern coast of Virginia, right by the very spot where the colonies began their foundation in Jamestown lies the little town of Williamsburg, Virginia. Named for King William III of England when the state capitol was moved from Jamestown in 1699, today Williamsburg is a bustling city with theme parks and history all around. No words can describe the magic you feel while there, I’d compare it to that childish excitement you get when going to Disney World for the first time. However, few people seem to realize what a crucial role that this small-ish city seemed to play in the founding of our nation.

For 81 years (1699-1780) Williamsburg ruled as Virginia’s capital after the House of Burgesses decided to leave Jamestown. Many of the founders of America and major players of the American Revolution, such as George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, and Peyton Randolph (to name a few), spent time here. In 1926, the Reverand of Bruton Parish Church, W.A.R. Goodwin and John D. Rockefeller Jr. began restoration of what is now Colonial Williamsburg. It reopened as a histrocial location in 1933 and has been providing educational services and constant preservation of the once important town since.

I’ve been to Colonial Williamsburg multiple times and I never truly get to see everything it holds. Each season holds new activities for children of all ages and new set ups in the buildings open for viewings. There’s history filled fun starting at William and Mary College and stretches all the way down Duke of Gloucester Street to the Capitol building. Duke of Gloucester Street happens to be the main street that leads straight through the center of the hustle and bustle of Colonial Williamsburg and was once strolled down by the likes of Patrick Henry, Peyton Randolph, George and Martha Washington, and even Thomas and Martha Jefferson. It’s seen soldiers held up as they were fighting for freedom a few miles away during the Battle of Yorktown in the most crucial time of the Revolutionary War. Almost every building is focused around Duke of Gloucester Street and if it’s not, the road to it is directly connected. Strolling down the street yourself, is like you’re being immersed back in to the 1700’s. The costumes, the characters, the sites! The experience of walking next to a horse drawn carriage towards a tavern while people in modern and colonial clothing hustle by you is otherworldly. Seeing the market place and being able to buy goods from an open market right off the street is a rare experience in modern times but to be buying fresh fruits and vegetables (all grown from the colonial garden) is even an experience the Royalist would enjoy.

Raleigh Tavern is a site that you may miss if you’re hurrying by to the bigger attractions or under the assumption that it’s not open due to the construction equipment currently surrounding it. However, the construction is simply due to new archaeological evidence that the tavern had a porch on the front and although it may not look like much, Raleigh Tavern has such an important history to Virginia and the founding of the United States. Built in 1717 and given the namesake for Sir Walter Raleigh who founded the lost colony of Roanoke Island, the Tavern has seen many popular faces come and go. In 1773 the House of Burgesses met in the Apollo Room and began writing letters to unite the colonies against the rule of the British. Included in these events were two young lawyers, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. Parties were often thrown at the Tavern, as well, including one that a recent William and Mary graduate (Thomas Jefferson) attended and subsequently embarrassed himself in not being able to talk to the beautiful hostess of the party. After the Battle of Yorktown, people celebrated from the Capitol building at the top of Duke of Gloucester street down to Raleigh’s Tavern to celebrate the miraculous surrender of the British and the signing of the Treaty of Paris. In 1824, Marquis De Lafayette, whom you should know fairly well if you’re an avid follower of Broadway’s Hamilton: An American Revolution, returned to Williamsburg for the first time since the signing of the Treaty of Paris and was treated to a feast to honor him. Even if you ignore the amazing figures who walked the halls of the tavern or even the beautiful architecture of the renovated building, you will definitely the appreciate the delicious pretzel rolls that are sold inside!

Also located off of Duke of Gloucester street, is the beautiful Bruton Parish Church. Built in 1660, long before Williamsburg was thought of, and currently still an active church with the much bigger Williamsburg bustling around it. There were quite a few influential faces that attended church here including Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, George Washington, George Wythe, and Patrick Henry. In 1781, the church was used as either a Storehouse or a hospital during the siege of Yorktown; and was used again during the Civil War as a hospital during the Battle of Williamsburg. Many prominent people in Williamsburg society are buried in the graveyard behind the church including two of Martha Washington’s infant children from a previous marriage. It is also said that Nathaniel Bacon buried his fortune under one of the graves in the cemetery. Although that can be neither confirmed or denied, what can be denied is that is definitely a site you can not miss out on.

If you’re interested in Historical Haunts then the Peyton Randolph house is just right for you. Built in 1715 by William Robertson and eventually bought by the Randolph family, this house has had little reconstruction to it. Much of original house is still standing and according to most, insanely haunted. A few deaths have been reported on the grounds that the house stands on. The reasons for the haunting are usually related to either being built on a Native American burial ground or the curse put on the house by a slave who was killed by the lady of the house. People like George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, and General Rochambeau were stationed here while preparing for the siege of Yorktown. It was Lafayette who claimed to have been awoken in the middle of the night by unexplained voices and feeling a heavy hand rest upon his shoulder while staying there during his US Tour in 1824. Personally, I’ve been in the Peyton Randolph house once and it was enough for me. Upon entering it was beautiful with the character telling an intriguing and heart wrenching story of the slaves kept here but I also felt such heaviness unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. It became hard for me to breathe and I got dizzy and hot. We got to a parlor room on the second floor and I immediately collapsed into a chair to listen to the last bit of the story before descending the stairwell that was still original to the home. We left the house and crossed the street and I instantly felt like a weight was lifted. I felt normal. I haven’t been back in the house since that trip in December and it gives me the goosebumps just thinking about being back in that place again. Who knows what we will experience on our trip July!

Another spooky spot in Colonial Williamsburg is the George Wythe house. Although not even a bit as heavy as the Peyton Randolph house, it was more historically important than spooky even when taking the ghost stories in to account. During the siege of Yorktown, the George Wythe home was used as George Washington’s headquarters and if you visit Colonial Williamsburg in December, they have the whole home set up as it would have been while Washington was stationed there. It was also used as temporary housing for troops and Rochambeau. The tour through the home and gardens are an incredible experience. The grounds on which the house sits is a beautiful site to see and you absolutely can’t miss seeing the chicken coop! If you’re looking for a more mild haunt filled with incredible history, I definitely suggest the George Wythe house.

The Capitol building became the capitol after the Statehouse in Jamestown burned down for a second time and the House of Burgesses moved to Williamsburg. In May of 1765 it was here that Patrick Henry proclaimed “Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell, and George the Third-“, here is where everyone caught on to where this was going and started calling Henry Treasonous. However, Henry took a breath and finished with “…may profit by their example. If this be treason, make the most of it”. On May 15, 1776 the Capitol building is housing the House of Burgesses wherein that meeting Virginia declared they wanted American Independence and Thomas Jefferson began writing the Declaration of Independence from the records that were kept during that session with the continental congress. The Capitol was then used until December 24, 1779 when the House of Burgesses decided that they will reconvene in May in the new Capitol of Richmond, Virginia. The Capitol building is one of the best attractions to visit at Colonial Williamsburg. The guides are extremely intelligent and paint the story of the founding of our country beautifully. It is also one of the most kid friendly tours and our 7 year old loved the tour! If you’re taking a family trip, the Capitol is to not miss!

The Courthouse had two significant events happen on its steps. Benjamin Waller read the Declaration of Independence on steps, as well as, the Treaty of Paris was announced here. With the signing of the treaty, we effectively ended the Revolutionary War. I haven’t yet had the pleasure of touring the Courthouse but it is a beautiful building. We are planning on visiting it in July for our next trip and I will be able to post a more effective blog post about the Courthouse then!

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My favorite place in all of Colonial Williamsburg is the Governor’s Palace. This was the home to all of the Royal Governor’s during the British Reign as well as Patrick Henry during his term as governor and then his successor Thomas Jefferson, who drew up plans to remodel, before the Capitol was moved to Richmond due to the war. So many beautiful balls and parties were constantly being held here where Virginians would commonly dance til 6-7am. During the siege of Yorktown, the palace was used as General Charles Lee’s headquarters until it was needed for a hospital. Behind the palace are elaborate gardens. In the garden off to the left from the back door, you will find a plaque to honor the 156 men and soldiers and two women that were buried in the garden during the war. The Governor’s Palace holds many original artworks and beautifully creative rooms. A room filled with swords and muskets, the bright blue of the ballroom, the red of Lady Dunmore’s room. It’s a sight that absolutely no one should ever miss!

The magazine was used to store guns, ammunition, and other equipment needed for raids on the city. This little building sparked the American Revolution for Virginians. The night of April 20, 1775 Lord Dunmore, the British Governor at the time, ordered Lieutenant Henry Collins and the Royal Marines to empty the magazine and destroy the muskets after he became worried after hearing word of Patrick Henry’s infamous ‘Give me Liberty or Give me Death!” speech just days earlier. On April 27th, The word of the first shots fired had reached the town of Williamsburg. Patrick Henry rallied a group of militiamen to petition for restitution of the gun powder that Lord Dunmore had stolen from the magazine. Their restitution was granted. However, either late in the night on June 3rd or early morning June 4th, two young men snuck in to the magazine and were wounded by a booby trap set up. When news spread, a mob stormed the building on June 5th. The mob managed to chase Lord Dunmore from Williamsburg on June 8th bringing about the end of British rule in Virginia. The magazine is an absolutely remarkable place to go to see weapons used during the 1700’s. It is a very narrow and small space with lots of steps, so if that doesn’t sound fun to you, I would recommend checking out the market place beside it while the rest of your family enjoys it!

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The last place I’m going to be talking about is Public Gaol (Jail). This was one of the first buildings requested to be built when Williamsburg was named the new capitol of Virginia. It has housed many prisoners including 15 of Blackbeard’s pirates! It’s a very short tour with the building being relatively small, however two of the original cells are still standing and then there are two recreations. They are fantastic to go in and view what jail felt like then. There is also a debtors cell located in the jailers house. It’s definitely a lot nicer than the outdoor cells. Also if you’re in to TV, a sequence from Sons of Liberty was filmed at the Public Gaol as well as the TV show Turn: Washington’s Spies on AMC has filmed quite a few times at Colonial Williamsburg!

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Not to pick on my fiance too much, but it’s come to my attention that many people don’t want to take the time to appreciate these remarkable buildings and the significance to this country that they hold. People tend to skip over places like Colonial Williamsburg because they want to sit on a beach or they’re afraid the kids won’t want to learn during a vacation. I’m here to tell you that Colonial Williamsburg is one of the most remarkable vacation spots. My daughter loves the experience and being able to even teach her teachers the things she’s learned while here. The photo opportunities are listless and the food is A+ (I especially recommend Chowning’s Tavern). Tickets are $40.00 for entrance to all the tours, however you can simply walk around and enjoy the sites and restaurants for free! Colonial Williamsburg is a home away from home for me and it means so much to my family that I’d like it to be around for generations to come. So at the end of every blog post, I’d like to link to the donation pages of each place I am writing about. We need to keep these sites preserved so everyone gets an equal opportunity to experience the history of this incredible country.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Colonial Williamsburg!

If you’d like to donate to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Click Here

*All photos in this article are owned by writelovemakehistory/khicksphotography*

Sources:

Patrick Henry’s Speech

History Facts about Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg: The Revolutionary City When you think of the Revolutionary War and the colonies fight for freedom, what cities come to your mind?

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