We'd already decided to travel to Williamsburg, Virginia for a waterpark getaway. It only made sense to get out of the hotel and swing by the old and famous part of town as well. I've had fun writing up cool places around where we live (like Fort McHenry and Assateague Island), and Williamsburg, three hours from Frederick, more than fits the bill. My wife and I visited before, about five years ago, as part of a loop around the Chesapeake. Our stay this time was a brief and fun little excursion.
Williamsburg was the capital of colonial Virginia from 1699 until the American Revolution, and a sizable and bustling town of the era. The College of William & Mary, the second oldest college in the country, was already there (from 1693) in what was originally called Middle Plantation. After moving the capital inland from Jamestown, the location was renamed Williamsburg and a city planned. Located there were both the colonial Royal Governor, appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the king, and the Virginia legislature ('House of Burgesses'), representing the citizens of the colony, along with many other people and businesses. After the war started, Virginia's capital moved again at the behest of (no longer Royal) Governor Thomas Jefferson to Richmond, where it remains. More or less left behind, the town stagnated and to some extent kept its 18th century feel. During the 20th century a private group, which included John D. Rockefeller, purchased the land piece by piece and made various changes (a messy process) to restore and rebuild the colonial city.
Still operated by a private foundation, Colonial Williamsburg is set up to be a living museum of colonial times. You can walk around for free (and lots of locals use it for walking/jogging), but if you wish to tour many of the buildings you'll need to buy an entry pass. During normalcy, there's a nice visitors center from which to begin before either taking a short walking path or bus-ride (our son's favorite part, lol) to the historical area. There you'll see hundreds of restored or re-created buildings from the time just before the Revolution, along with a multitude of employees who dress and speak as if they're living in the 18th century and want to share their knowledge and experiences. Along with going inside the Governor's Palace and old Capitol building, you can check out the courthouse, gaol, a large church, various working trade shops, taverns, gardens and much more. There are shows just off the Palace Green at the site of the town's first theater. Old horse-drawn carriages are available for rides. Typically the Fifes & Drums are the biggest highlight, as redcoat-clad musicians proudly march and loudly play, further adding to the authenticity and feel of the colony under British rule.
From past exploration, I remembered the immersive setting and a few buildings in particular. The arrival site is near the Governor's Palace and it makes some sense to do a tour there first, if possible, where you're greeted at a side gate and taken through the house, learning the history of the building and (if I remember correctly) the flight of the last Royal Governor. Otherwise, the long, wide green is a wonderful entry to the rest of town. All the way on the other end is the Capitol, my must-see spot even if it's a recreation of the original building. There, in the chamber of the House of Burgesses, great men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry met and were a vital part of the lead-up to revolution.
This time, I was struck by the sheer size of the historical area. In particular I was surprised by the length of the Duke of Gloucester Street, from the Palace Green down to the Capitol, and its width, considerably more so than the main drag in other old east coast towns (like Frederick). This was definitely a planned town, something making it ideal for preservation and its current status as an expansive museum. And on the way down that street, as well as the others, there were tons of things to do: buildings to explore, people to talk to and trades (like blacksmithing, weaving or coopering) to learn about. It also cracked me up that nearly all of the many taverns immediately bordered the Capitol, and I'm sure that's how it was. We'll have to return when our boys are a little older (and more willing to wear a tricornered hat) since it's really a cool place to visit.
Of course it could be cooler. With Covid, not everything is open right now. The number of open buildings and activities have (hopefully temporarily) decreased. There were no Fifes & Drums. As alluded to earlier, the visitors center is closed (it's being used as a vaccine center). Still they're doing what they can and, like a real city in the midst of a downturn, there's just a little less to do. I certainly appreciate that they're charging less for the entry fee, and that the employee's masks worn appeared to be made from old style materials.
It's kinda funny driving through the rest of Williamsburg. Tourism is clearly what it's all about and there are so many hotels. The colonial motif defines the whole city and nearly everything is brick. Modern Williamsburg, if we can call it that, is essentially the college town for William & Mary and it's super cute. If you're visiting and into that sort of thing, I'd highly recommend the Precarious Beer Project. The beer was good, the taco bar was tremendous and it had a great atmosphere to top it off. If we're to return someday, we hopefully also visit the site of Yorktown just down the road.
For today, farewell.
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