This was one of many visits 'Uncle Walter' made to Colonial Williamsburg. He would return to give remarks at a General Assembly meeting held in the Capitol, as a noted guest to a Colonial Williamsburg Board of Trustees meeting, and as a journalist to cover the final Ford/Carter debate of the 1976 Presidential Election, held in Williamsburg.]]> Rights and reproductions]]> ]]> Rights and reproductions]]>
The caption reads: "The Colonial Capitol of Virginia, Williamsburg, Virginia. This is an authentic reconstruction of the Capitol of the Virginia Colony which was erected in 1705. Here many of the acts and resolutions were adopted which brough about the American Revolution. Here Patrick Henry made his Caesar-Brutus speech. The building has been rebuilt upon its original foundations and is open to the public."]]>
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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 was one of the most exciting and important discoveries during the initial research carried out by Foundation historians. Mary Goodwin, a cousin of Dr. Goodwin, found this 18th-century copper plate at Oxford University's Bodleian Library. It is thought to have been an illustration created for an unpublished description of Virginia by William Byrd II.
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This was one of the most exciting and important discoveries during the initial research carried out by Foundation historians. Mary Goodwin, a cousin of Dr. Goodwin, found this 18th-century copper plate at Oxford University's Bodleian Library. It is thought to have been an illustration created for an unpublished description of Virginia by William Byrd II.]]>
Rights and reproductions]]> View of Southeast Committee Room of the Capitol, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1935. Located on the second floor (east wing) of the reconstructed Capitol building of 1705, this committee room served as place for members of Virginia's House of Burgesses to assemble to discuss legislative issues. Pictured to the left is a "warming machine" (accession # 1933-503 [L]) made by Abraham Buzaglo in 1770, once used for heating the hall of the House of Burgesses.

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.

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The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) acquired the site of Williamsburg’s colonial Capitol building in 1897 as a donation from the Old Dominion Land Company. They removed remnants of the Williamsburg Female Academy which stood on the site from 1849-1861. Archaeological excavations uncovered the original foundations of the Capitol. The APVA capped the foundations with cement to provide a layer of protection.

A memorial erected in the middle of the excavated foundations in 1904 commemorated members of the House of Burgesses who formed associations against the importation or purchase of British goods. This tablet still exists and was moved to the yard surrounding the reconstructed Capitol building.
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