The slide shows the exterior of the Governor's Palace, north facade, featuring the rear entrance and ballroom wing of the building. The ballroom wing was built as an addition during the 1750s. Above its doors, a painted carving of the royal coat of arms is mounted within a pedimented gable. ]]>
The slide features a rear elevation view of the north and west facades from the pleached hornbeam arbor behind the Palace. In the foreground stands a female costumed interpreter, dressed in a gown and holding a bouquet of flowers. In the background stands the ballroom wing, an addition during the 1750s, and the royal arms are featured in its pedimented gable. The Palace's gardens, designed by Arthur Shurcliff, include boxwood parterres and one dozen large cylindrical shrubs known as the Twelve Apostles, a feature often appearing in eighteenth-century English gardens. ]]>
The slide offers a rear elevation view of the formal gardens behind the Palace, as observed from a pleached hornbeam arbor. These gardens, designed by Arthur Shurcliff, include boxwood parterres and one dozen large cylindrical shrubs known as the Twelve Apostles, a feature often appearing in eighteenth-century English gardens.]]>
Overhead view of the Palace Green, looking south through a window of the Governor's Palace. Palace Street rings the Green. At the front gate of the Palace stands a gowned female costumed interpreter (once referred to as a "hostess"), while a carriage drawn by two horses stands in the front drive. Two male costumed interpreters, representing enslaved coachmen, wait with the carriage.
The long, broad expanse of the Green, lined on either side by catalpa trees (also known as catawba trees), creates an impressive vista and impression of grandeur upon approach to the Palace. "Palace Green was intended to focus the eye as well as the mind on the source of executive authority in Virginia and to provide the stately official residence at its head with an unimpeded vista to the heart of the community and beyond."
(Source: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation website, "See the Places: Historic Sites and buildings: Palace Green," http://www.history.org/almanack/places/hb/hbpalgr.cfm)
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This image of the Governor's Palace, shown as it was first reconstructed, includes features and details that changed with later research and investigation. Wrought-iron gates and the over-door balcony are now painted white, and louvered exterior doors have been removed as efforts towards authenticity are refined.]]>
The Williamsburg High School stood on Palace Green from 1921 until 1933. It was replaced by Matthew Whaley School on a site adjacent to the Governor's Palace.]]>
Located on the first floor (east wing) of the reconstructed Capitol building of 1705, this room served as a place for members of Virginia's House of Burgesses to assemble to discuss legislative issues. As a meeting room, it also served as the scene of many important political debates leading up to the American Revolution.
The two portraits hanging on the back wall are currently part of the collection of the Muscarelle Museum at the College of William & Mary. For many years, the college loaned the two portraits to Colonial Williamsburg for display in the Capitol. To the left is a portrait of King William III by Sir Peter Lely (formerly loan item L1955-483.) To the right is a portrait of Queen Mary II by Sir Godfrey Kneller (formerly loan item L1954-1069.)]]>
The slide shows the Capitol's north facade, from the north gate entrance looking toward the building. The clock and cupola are visible on the clock tower above the entrance to the building. "The H-shaped plan of the Capitol reflects the division of the government between the lower and upper houses of the legislature....As the General Assembly evolved, it comprised the Council [meeting in the west wing, to the right] and the House of Burgesses [in the east wing, to the left], each of which met separately."
(Source: Michael Olmert and Suzanne Coffman, Official Guide to Colonial Williamsburg [Williamsburg, VA: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 2007], 68).
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The slide shows the exterior of the Capitol building, southern and western facades, viewed from the southwest near Francis Street. The Capitol's south-facing lawn and Blair Street are in the foreground. In the background stands the Capitol building, surrounded by the brick wall and southern entry gate. Rounded apsidal ends of the Capitol derive from Roman basilicas which contained such features in which public magistrates officiated. The royal coat of arms and clock are visible on the clock tower above the entrance to the building (completed during the reign of Queen Anne, the original cupola displayed the ruler’s coat of arms). Gnarled trunks of paper mulberry trees appear along Blair Street—a reference to the early colonists’ unsuccessful efforts to establish silk production in Virginia. ]]>
This plan features the ground floor layout of the Capitol with the General Court on one side and the House of Burgesses on the other. The two are connected by a an covered piazza and each has apsidal ends which give the south side of the building its distinctive curves. Office spaces for clerks and secretaries are located on the north side of the ground floor and have simpler squared ends.]]>
The Raleigh Tavern was the frequent scene of both jollity and consequence. Dinners and dances rivaled in elegance those at the Palace and burgesses reconvened at the tavern when they were dissolved by royal governors prior to the Revolution. Burned to the ground in 1859, the tavern was reconstructed from published illustrations, insurance policies, and archaeology that uncovered most of the original foundations.
In anticipation of guests' needs, a bottle case or cellaret (accession # 1930-58) is featured to the left of the fireplace. Cellarets functioned as portable wine cellars for holding wine and bottled spirits at mealtimes. Above the fireplace hangs a painting entitled Imaginary Landscape (accession #1931.101.3), a gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. Interior furnishings and decor reflect curators' views in the 1930s as to what Williamsburg's historic interiors may have looked like in the eighteenth century. Nevertheless, with new research findings evolving over the years, the Raleigh Tavern's interior furnishings have changed to reflect a more authentic and accurate view of each room's likely contents and arrangements.
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The family portrait on the wall, entitled "Family Group With Two Servants," was painted in England in 1790 (accession #1939-290). Under the portrait, two mahogany knife boxes (accession #1930-303, 1) are featured on either end of a sideboard table.
The Raleigh Tavern was the frequent scene of both jollity and consequence. Dinners and dances rivaled in elegance those at the Palace and burgesses reconvened at the tavern when they were dissolved by royal governors prior to the Revolution. Burned to the ground in 1859, it was reconstructed from published illustrations, insurance policies, and archaeology that uncovered most of the original foundations.
Interior furnishings and decor reflect curators' views in the 1930s as to how Williamsburg's historic interiors may have looked in the eighteenth century. Nevertheless, with new research advancements over the years, the Raleigh Tavern's interior furnishings have changed to reflect a more authentic and accurate view of each room's likely contents and arrangements.
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The Apollo Room at the Raleigh Tavern was the frequent scene of both jollity and consequence. Dinners and dances rivaled in elegance those at the Palace and burgesses reconvened at the tavern when they were dissolved by royal governors prior to the Revolution. Burned to the ground in 1859, it was reconstructed from published illustrations, insurance policies, and archaeology that uncovered most of the original foundations.
Interior furnishings and decor reflect curators' views in the 1930s as to what Williamsburg's historic interiors may have looked like in the eighteenth century. Nevertheless, with new research findings evolving over the years, the Raleigh Tavern's interior furnishings have changed to reflect a more authentic and accurate view of each room's likely contents and arrangements.]]>
The Raleigh Tavern was the frequent scene of both jollity and consequence. Burned to the ground in 1859, the tavern was reconstructed from published illustrations, insurance policies, and archaeology that uncovered most of the original foundations.
Interior furnishings and decor reflect curators' views in the 1930s as to how Williamsburg's historic interiors may have looked in the eighteenth century. Nevertheless, with new research advances over the years, the Raleigh Tavern's interiors have changed and evolved to reflect a more authentic and accurate view of each room's likely contents and arrangements.]]>
The original tavern structure burned down in 1859 but the remains of the original foundations allowed for the restoration of the building to its eighteenth-century appearance. John Dixon constructed the original around 1749 and used it as a combination dwelling and shop. Later additions allowed the building to be converted into a tavern operated first by Thomas Craig and later by Gabriel Maupin.
After its restoration in the early 1930s, guests at Colonial Williamsburg could rent rooms in the tavern to experience some colonial ambiance. The Great Room served as a gathering spot for conversations, games, and special occasions. Its focal point is a large round table encircled by Windsor chairs. A desk, high chest of drawers, side table, armchair, and ladder-back side chair complete the furnishings. ]]>
A popular restaurant for tourists in the 1930s, the Travis House stood for a period of time along Duke of Gloucester Street on the site formerly occupied by the Palace Theatre. Its menu featured dishes inspired by colonial recipes. The structure moved back to its original location at the northeast corner of Francis and Henry Streets in the early 1950s.
Colonel Edward Champion Travis built the home in 1765 and it acquired several additions as successive owners occupied the site. Travis served in the House of Burgesses and was its most prominent colonial occupant. The house became a residence for superintendents of Eastern State Hospital in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Eastern State Hospital turned the building over to the Williamsburg Restoration in 1929 and this led to its temporary move to Duke of Gloucester Street to become a restaurant between 1930-1951.]]>
The tavern's signboard and a fence stand in the foreground, while the front entrance of the building is visible in the background. A lead bust of Sir Walter Raleigh, the noted navigator-explorer, is featured in the broken pediment above the tavern's front doors. Eighteenth-century spelling was not exact and Raleigh most often wrote his name without the “i”.
The Raleigh Tavern was the frequent scene of both jollity and consequence. Burned to the ground in 1859, the tavern was reconstructed from published illustrations, insurance policies, and archaeology that uncovered most of the original foundations.]]>
One of the eighty-eight original structures at Colonial Williamsburg, the Courthouse stood on this site from 1770 onwards but underwent a number of minor modifications in the nineteenth century. It was restored to its colonial appearance and opened as an exhibition building in the early 1930s. The Restoration Archaeological Exhibit housed inside offered early museum visitors an opportunity to learn about eighteenth-century artifacts uncovered by archaeologists working in tandem with architectural historians.]]>
This view looks from the garden across a gate towards the front elevation of the house. The western portion served as the 18th-century residence of silversmith John Coke, while the central Greek Revival style portion was constructed in the early 19th- century by the Garrett family.]]>
This pre-restoration view of the church interior dates to sometime between 1907 and 1930. It reflects changes made to the sanctuary as a result of initial efforts to bring the interior closer to its original form in anticipation of the Jamestown Tercentenary. Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin, who became rector of the church in 1903, worked with architect J. Stewart Barney on the plans. Renovations to the church in the 19th-century had led to the reorientation of the sanctuary and the movement of the altar to the west end. The 1907 refurbishment included re-situating the altar at the east end of the nave. A large circular stained glass window provided a colorful focal point above the altar. It was later removed during a final wave of restoration work undertaken in 1939.]]>