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The Capital Building, located at the end of Duke of Gloucester Street, was the The original Courthouse, which is still located at Market Square, was the scene for a wide variety of The Governor's Palace was home and headquarters for the royal governors At the opposite end of the street, where it forks into Richmond Road and | ||||||||||||
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the General Assembly of Virginia in 1699. At that time, it dropped it's name of Middle Plantation and was bestowed it current name in honor of King William III. For over 80 years, Williamsburg thrived as the capital city, and played major roles in the Independence of the United States. When it was decided in 1780 to move the capital to Richmond, Williamsburg settled back as the county seat, quietly hosting the College of William and Mary. In the early 1900's, John D. Rockefeller Jr. lead a campaign for the restoration of the historic buildings that were standing from the 1700's, preserving a portion of rich American history for the future.
springboard for many of the founding fathers of our country, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. It was in this building that the House of Burgess would pen legislation that would be sent to the His Majesty's Council of State for approval or rejection. The burgesses passed an increasing number of petitions and resolutions against acts of Parliament as 1776 rapidly approached. Most notable are the Stamp Act and the levy on tea, in which Henry proclaimed "taxation without representation." The original Building succumbed to fire in 1747, and was rebuilt in 1753. Devastation hit the building again in 1832 when flames burned the structure to the ground. The current building standing on the site is a recreation of the 1704 building, complete with Queen Anne's coat of arms and the Great Union flag.
proceedings, from issuing licenses to criminal trials. Pig stealing, creditor disputes and wife beating were among the cases heard here. It was rare that a offender would be given a jail sentence. The colonists opted for swift and severe punishment, such as public flogging at the whipping post beside the courthouse, or being locked in the stocks and publically ridiculed. Visitors can participate in a mock trial as either a member of the jury or as a defendant, learning how justice was carried out during colonial times.
from 1714 until 1775, at the end of British rule. This Georgian style mansion, which has been reconstructed to exacting detail, portrayed the final five years of British rule in Virginia. Craftsmen and artisans have thoroughly studied 18th-century techniques to ensure that period pieces where authenticated to the noble original artifacts. The king's governor had limited power, and behaved more like a prestigious diplomat on foreign soil, and the luxurious accommodations of this residence pay testament to that. The main house is surrounded by ten acres of splendid gardens, stables and a holly maze patterned after the one at Hampton Court.
Jamestown Road, is the College of William and Mary. At the center of the College is the Wren Building, the oldest academic building in continuous use in the United States. The building was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, the architect that is best known for designing St. Pauls Cathedral in London. Erected around 1665, the building was been touched with fire three times, only to rise from the ashes.
