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The heart of Williamsburg is referred to, appropriately,
as the Historic Area—the center of town
then and now. The location of the hotel you have chosen
can be seen in each hotel location map. When traveling
in the vicinity, visitors will notice small green
indicator signs with arrows leading to the Visitor
Center, which is the best place to begin your tour.
Bus transportation to, from and around the Historic
Area is provided with your admission ticket. The Colonial
Parkway runs under the Historic Area via a tunnel
built in the 1930s to keep major traffic out of the
area. The access from the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor
Center to Yorktown, Jamestown and the Interstate system
is convenient and only minutes away by using the Parkway.
Directions and distances are clearly marked by the
National Park Service.
-On-line Printable Map-
The main axis in the Historic Area is Duke of
Gloucester Street (which is closed to traffic),
with the Capitol Building* situated at the
eastern end of the street and the Christopher
Wren Building* of The College of William and
Mary at the western end. The distance between these
two points is a very historic mile. Over five hundred
buildings are in the Historic Area. Eighty-eight
of them are original, and the rest are restorations
created on original foundations or taken from an
18th century diagram map of the city.
Among the original structures
on Duke of Gloucester Street are public
buildings - the Courthouse of 1770*, the Public*
Records Office*, the Powder Magazine*, Wetherburn's
Tavern* and Bruton Parish Church*.
Some of the original shops
and homes on Duke of Gloucester Street
include the Margaret Hunter Shop*, Taliaferro-Cole
Shop, Prentis Store*, the Alexander Craig House,
the James Getty House*, the William Lightfoot House,
the Ludwell-Paradise House and the Taliaferro-Cole
House. Reconstructions stand beside the originals,
and you probably won’t be able to tell them
apart. These include the Raleigh Tavern*, Anderson
Blacksmith*, Pasteur & Galt Apothecary* and the John
Greenhow Store*. Details are as accurate as archaeology
can attest.
The reconstructed Governor's Palace* dominates
the view on Palace Green, where several structures
are original including the handsome George Wythe
House*, the Robert Carter House and the
Brush-Everard House*. The open-air Playbooth
Theatre stands at the site of Levingston's Playhouse,
the first colonial theater in Americ built by 1718.
Two streets parallel Duke of Gloucester, and each
has its own character. Nicholson is closed to vehicular
traffic during the day. It intersects with the Palace
Green and flows eastward as the backside of Market
Square. Several stately homes border the square.
The three on Nicholson are original - the St.
George Tucker House, the Peyton Randolph House*and
the Grissell Hay Lodging House. The Tayloe
House and Tayloe Office, as well as the
Public Gaol* (Jail), the Booker Tenement and
the large Coke-Garret House on Nicholson are also
original.
Francis Street becomes France Street as one travels
from east to west. This street is open daily to traffic
and affords good views of the Capitol*, Market
Square, Ayscough House* and the Magazine*
as well as private colonial homes of varying sizes.
Bassett Hall* cannot be easily seen from the
street, but is opened on a limited schedule by Colonial
Williamsburg. It was the Williamsburg home of John
D. Rockefeller. Private homes, such as the Robert
Nicolson House, Benjamin Waller House and William
Finnie House are a bit more imposing than some of
their neighbors. The Ewing House, Orrell House and
The Quarter and Bracken Tenement are examples of
the more modest homes of the period. The most striking
home on Francis is the brick Lightfoot House with
its large windows and Chinese Chippendale fence.
The reconstruction of the first Public Hospital*
built for the mentally ill stands on the France Street
end of the road. Within its doors is the entrance
to the impressive DeWitt-Wallace Museum for the
Decorative Arts*. In a field adjoining the Public
Hospital is the small Custis Kitchen, the
only remaining part of the 1715 house complex built
by Colonel John Custis. His son Daniel Parke Custis
inherited the estate in 1749. Daniel's widow, Martha
Custis Washington with her second husband, George,
kept the land in trust for her son John Parke Custis.
In addition to homes and interiors, there is much
more to see and do in the historic area. Christiana
Campbell's, Chowning's, King's Arms and Shields'
are colonial taverns
which replicate the decor, entertainment, customs
and manners of 18th century dining. They are open
to the public and serve the same type of fare offered
in 1770. After a satisfying lunch, a leisurely walk
down the streets will provide a pleasant trip back
in time. Watch tradesmen and craftsmen working in
their particular professions. Take a moment to talk
with them and see what it took to perfect their skills.
Shops are open, selling 18th century style wares,
jewelry, toys, games and clothing. In-town gardens,
with vegetables, flowers and greenery, are exquisite
designs created from the originals. Costumed characters
from all colonial social classes tell stories, sing
songs and testify on behalf of their particular beliefs
and struggles. If you look hard you may meet Thomas
Jefferson, George Washington and other American patriots,
and even a tory or two!
Williamsburg is a living history museum. You will
feel that you've entered another century and if you
take advantage of the many programs, you'll become
fully immersed in the past.
* Building interiors open to the public
Reserve Early
...while your preferred accommodations are still
available.
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