A smaller seventeenth-century structure stood on the site from 1683 until 1715, when the larger and more elaborate cruciform-style church replaced it. Located at the edge of Palace Green on the corner of Duke of Gloucester Street and Palace Street, the church was originally designed by colonial Governor Alexander Spotswood.

A series of restoration efforts began under Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin's direction between 1903-1907 and continued periodically until completed in 1940. In this 1935 photo of the north facade of Bruton Parish Church, the building retains the Colonial Revival window shutters installed by architect J. Stewart Barney during his 1906 renovation of the exterior, according to how be believed the church appeared in the eighteenth century. The shutters were later removed during final restoration efforts in 1939, given the availability of further research information.

Bruton Parish continues to serve an active Episcopal congregation and has functioned as a site of worship for the community since the parish was first founded in 1674.
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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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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. ]]>

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.]]>
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Located on the second floor (West wing) of the reconstructed Capitol building of 1705, the Council Chamber served as place for members of the Governor's Council to meet. The Council consisted of twelve colonists appointed by the King to serve for life in the upper house of Virginia's legislature.

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


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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.]]>

The drawing consists of a map of the small farm, showing the locations of various buildings and outbuildings, bee hives, and dating the various additions to the original house as it grew. ]]>

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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