No Corsets, Hoop Skirts or White Wigs Needed to Visit Colonial Williamsburg
Stories and photos by Roxie LaFever (unless otherwise indicated)
Colonial Williamsburg is a “living history museum.” The entire town is filled with those dressed in colonial style, speaking with British accents, and ready to answer all your questions regarding life in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Open seventy-five years; this town offers new activities and enhanced exhibits every year.
While you can walk the town streets year-round, some activities are tied to the season and may impact when choosing to visit. If you have small children that love newborn animals, Springtime is best. Flowers are starting to bloom, and the homestead gardens are lovely. Autumn offers a smaller crowd (after school starts), the fall foliage is beautiful, and tours and exhibits remain plentiful. Christmas brings a yuletide feeling with the Grand Illumination the first weekend and music, decorations, and events to “put all in the spirit.”
Other holidays, like Veterans Day, have more of a military theme, harking back to battles of the past. So before finalizing your visit, check the official site and confirm any special events or exhibits at www.ColonialWilliamsburg.org, where you can also purchase tickets in advance.
Regarding tickets, various packages are available, ranging from single days to annual passes, lodging packages, bundles with neighboring tourist attractions, or museums only.
Why is Williamsburg Historic?
Virginia was one of the 13 original colonies, and Williamsburg for eighty-one years (starting in 1699 after Jamestown) served as our Colonial Capital until the Revolutionary War in 1780 when then-Governor Thomas Jefferson moved the capital to Richmond. Many of our early leaders like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, James Monroe, James Madison, George Wythe, and Peyton Randolph participated in the British government at Williamsburg. This British governance approach later served as a platform for establishing our new and independent government after the war.
Williamsburg has been restored and reconstructed, including many of the buildings recognized during British governance. Colonial Williamsburg has grown and continues to grow since reconstruction began in the late 1920s.
Welcome to the Governor’s Palace
Imagine the honor of being invited to the Palace by the Governor back in the day, dressed in your finest and arriving by horse-drawn carriage. Stepping through the door to a display of strength with wall-to-wall pistols, muskets, and swords elaborately decorating the foyer. Greeted by the Governor, your party would bow and curtsey.
Parlors for private discussion reside on each side of the foyer. At the same time, the coat of arms over the entrance beckons you to the reception hall, where other distinguished dignitaries await introduction. All would be formally dressed, including the men wearing their handmade wigs, long coattails, buckle shoes, and the women in tightly cinched corsets and long billowing hoop skirts. Servants offer food served on the royal china, and all dance the minuet or waltz to the sound of harpsichord music. It would indeed be a memorable night for all in attendance.
Exploring the Beautiful Gardens
The English have always taken pride in their gardens, and this tradition extended in the new world. Rows of flowers bloom amongst the walking paths around the Palace. A maze is fun for all to explore or for the children to play hide and seek. And the stream alongside the palace grounds is lusciously green and ready for meditation, contemplation, or the impromptu picnic.
Learning About Daily Life
Many of the tours and exhibits focus on daily life as you further explore along the streets of Colonial Williamsburg. Discover the crops they grew (and why) in the garden and even purchase items to take home. Learn about the meals cooked over open fires in the outdoor kitchen and how to bake bread. Learn how cellars maintain milk and other temperature-sensitive items. Trades like candle making, shoe peddlers, coopers (barrel making), and blacksmiths are on display. Furniture and carriage builders made life possible. At times, beer makers and brick makers demonstrate their crafts.
Buy a ticket for a leisurely carriage ride around town with multiple drop-off points.
Original and Restructured Historic Buildings
While some are restructured buildings, others have been historically restored to original standards. While over 300 acres have been set aside for Colonial Williamsburg, the Historic area is only 173 acres consisting of 88 original buildings and over 50 significant reconstructions.
The Bruton Parish Church, initially established in 1674, remains an active Episcopal Church open to services to this day. The current building, constructed between 1711-1715, became a registered National Historic Landmark in 1970. Explore the surrounding cemetery and go inside to get a feel for those who attended in the past and perhaps attend one of today’s services.
The church also served as a hospital during the Revolutionary War (Battle of Yorktown) and the Civil War.
Another historic home is that of George Wythe, which was a wedding present from his father-in-law upon his marriage to Elizabeth Taliaferro in 1755. It was a new home then, constructed between 1752 and 1754. They lived there until George moved to Richmond in 1791 (upon Elizabeth’s passing) and served as a judge. George was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, represented Virginia in the Continental Congress and Philadelphia Convention, and was known as the first American law professor.
Justice at the Courthouse
If it is justice you seek, check out the Courthouse where both the James City County Court and the Hustings Court met. The first being for county-wide resolutions and the latter for city disputes. Some disputes would be items like land deeds, inheritances, etc.; more heinous acts might lead to time in the shackles.
Historically, this Courthouse is where the citizens gathered on May 1, 1783, to recognize the end of the war with England and celebrate their newfound freedom. This Courthouse is the same place where seven years earlier, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud at the start of the war.
On Your Next Trip to Colonial Williamsburg
Whether attending during holiday celebrations or visiting the new Historical Museum, know that there is so much more to do in Colonial Williamsburg. It may take several visits to see it all and warrant that annual pass. Or bring the family and plan to spend a solid week or more steeped in history. The area is known as the Williamsburg Triangle because it also includes Jamestown, the original settlement, and Yorktown, where a major Revolutionary War battle took place. And for a day of fun, Busch Gardens is also close.
