Colonial Williamsburg - Part I

Colonial Williamsburg was highly recommended by a few friends, and I've been wanting to visit for quite some time. So what better way to spend the Christmas holidays than in the 18th century! If you aren't careful, tickets can get expensive, but we found it best to get the 2-day pass and look for free programs.

The town can be intimidating, so we spent our first day getting acquainted with the town and visiting the tradesmen. Our second day was full of special programs offered by Colonial Williamsburg during the holidays (note: most are free!). And with the town being 1 mile by 1/2 mile, we also got some great exercise to cover our festive caloric intake.


Yes, Colonial Williamsburg was an actual town, not a fantasy world for today's tourist (although it is somewhat of that, too). It served as Virginia's capital during the colonial period (1699-1780). This is where famous names in history helped shape democracy. Names like James Madison, James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Wythe, and Peyton Randolph.

Our day started with a stop at the Visitor Center to watch "Williamsburg - the Story of a Patriot." Then we walked across the footbridge into the 18th Century. Our first stop: The Governor's Palace!



The Governor's Palace - former home of 5 Lt. Governors, 2 Royal Governors, and the first 2 Governor's of the Commonwealth of Virginia - Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson.

Inside the Governor's Palace
(Yes, those are swords!)

The palace was built in 1722 and destroyed by a fire in 1781 while being used as a hospital for Americans wounded at the Battle of Yorktown.

The Palace Gardens

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The Apothecary - Having a baby? You wouldn't see the doctor down the street, you'd come to the apothecary. Need to mend a broken arm? Children 12 and younger would wear a brace for 7-8 weeks and have a bit of rum and laudulum to help them relax. Our favorite cure - chocolate, and for just about everything from asthma and dysentery to headaches and even smallpox!

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The Basketmakers - Households relied on baskets to carry and store everything from field crops and flowers to sewing thread. Most were woven from white oak. We learned that a skilled weaver can make a basket in 4 hours.

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The George Wythe House - The house was built in the early 1750's and was a wedding present from Richard Taliaferro, George's father-in-law.

George Wythe was the mayor of Williamsburg from 1768-1769, and he was the first Virginian to sign the Declaration of Independence. He was also a professor of law and teacher of Thomas Jefferson.

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The Peyton Randolph House - We were excited to take this 40-minute tour through the Randolph house - particularly for the wealth of information and a look into slavery in the 18th century.

Now I've been a tour guide before at a historic site (Magnolia Mound Plantation in Baton Rouge), and we look up to the folks at Colonial Williamsburg. Not only do they have access and funding for costumes, but for their own education and props. The tour guides at Colonial Williamsburg are the "creme de la creme." Or at least that's the way we thought...

Not so much with the Peyton Randolph House. Our guide, Chris, was terrible - and it was painful to stick around for the rest of the tour. He was very forceful, a bit condescending, and even rude. So if you are ever in Colonial Williamsburg and there is a guy named Chris leading the tour - wait for the next go round.

Despite our frightful tour guide experience, here is what we learned about Peyton Randolph: He served as the Speaker of the House of Burgess, and as the president of the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

So what was the House of Burgess? It is a council of elected representatives, kind of like today's legislative branch (senators and house of representatives), except the governor had the power to dissolve the House of Burgess at any time. However, that did not stop members from meeting - and around 1770, the seed was planted for a revolution against Britain.

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The Cabinetmaker
(who also assisted in making instruments)

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The Brickyard - Bricks are molded from clay, dried in the sun during the warm months of the year, and fired in a kiln in the fall. Many of the bricks used in Colonial Williamsburg are made on site, including the bricks at the new Charlton's Coffeehouse.

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The Printing and Bindery Office - We spotted this guy putting splattered dots on the edge of a book. No real fancy technique here! The gentleman at the bindery office said that only the wealthy would own books - and only a few books. It was quite expensive to print and bind a book, especially one with engravings. Virginia's first newspaper was published here in 1736.

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The Public Gaol (aka - Jail)

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The Capitol - Colonial Williamsburg describes this building best:

Here, Virginia patriots developed principles of self-government,
individual liberty, and responsible leadership.
Series of events that lead to American independence - from the French and Indian War through the Virginia Resolves to declare independence from Britain.
Many of the fundamental liberties that Americans cherish today were debated in this colonial seat of government.

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The Wigmaker - So what type of hair did they use to make wigs? Horse, goat, and human hair! The wigmaker also offered services like shaving, washing, bathing, and sold soaps, perfumes, and powders.

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The Guardhouse and Magazine is an original building. It houses originals and replicas of muskets and cannons of the 18th Century.