| Centrally
located close to the midpoint of the Colonial Parkway sits Colonial Williamsburg,
a restoration of Virginia's 18th century capital city, with its commerce, government,
religious and educational institutions in place. The experience is complete -
the visitor will discover every aspect of 18th century daily life, including the
triumphs and hardships the colonists faced with their distant royal government
in England.
Williamsburg encompasses a district over one mile long and a half-mile in
width. Eighty-eight buildings are refurbished originals. The rest are reconstructions
from documentation found on a 1781 survey. The three major sites, The Governor's
Palace, The Wren Building and The Capitol, were rebuilt on their original
foundations. Their facade details were drawn from 18th century engravings of these
same structures found in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University in England.
Rebuilding Williamsburg to its former greatness as a cradle of liberty was
the dream of Dr. W. A. R. Goodwin, rector of Bruton Parish, who in turn
inspired Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to become involved with making the
restoration a reality. Work started in 1926, and for more than thirty years, Mr.
Rockefeller gave his generous and enthusiastic support to the reconstruction.
He further established an endowment to provide for the foundation's educational
programs. Thus the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation was born and continues
today as a nonprofit educational foundation administering the largest living history
museum in the country. Reserve
Early...while your preferred accommodations are still available.
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