Clerk's Office, House of Burgesses

Interior view of the Clerk's Office in the House of Burgesses, Capitol Building, 1935.  Charles Willson Peale's portrait of Washington (accession # 1933-502, A&B) is featured prominently on the wall. In 1928, it was acquired by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. from Shirley Plantation, where it was likely exhibited since at least the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century (having been passed down through generations of the Carter family). Legend has it that Marion Carter Oliver agreed to the sale because Washington was not actually a family member.

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 interiors of the Governor’s Palace have changed to reflect a more authentic and accurate view of the building’s likely contents and room arrangements.