History of Colonial Williamsburg
Restoring Williamsburg
Restoring Williamsburg
Rebuilding the Past
The restoration of Williamsburg began with the Rev. Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin, rector of Bruton Parish Church, sharing his vision for Williamsburg with philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, in 1924. What began as a modest initiative to preserve Williamsburg’s 18th-century buildings soon blossomed into a full-scale restoration of the former colonial capital.
Educating for the Future
Now, almost a century later, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation brings history to life for new generations through careful research, conservation and preservation and by providing immersive programming and authentic resources for learners, educators and researchers throughout the world.
Bringing History to Life
In 1932, Colonial Williamsburg opened its first public exhibition building: the reconstructed Raleigh Tavern, where patriot members of Virginia’s House of Burgesses met and cast votes during the Revolutionary era in defiance of the colony’s royal governors. In 1934, hostesses working at the reconstructed tavern became the first Colonial Williamsburg staff to appear in period costume, in honor of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s visit for the dedication of Duke of Gloucester Street. Within two months every Colonial Williamsburg hostess would be wearing 18th-century costumes.
Historic Trades & Skills
The Foundation also began interpreting colonial crafts during the 1930s. Cabinetmaking, blacksmithing and silversmithing were the first crafts to be introduced, followed by spinning and weaving, barbering and wigmaking, and candlemaking. Begun initially with modern methods, the Historic Trades team became world-renowned for its historical authenticity as the program matured and its craftspeople adopted the tools and methods of their counterparts in the late-1700s.
Costumed Interpretation
In the 1970s, costumed interpreters began conveying stories of 18th-century people in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. It was a way to depict people of all classes, genders and races, and at the time, was considered pathbreaking street theater.
People of the Past
The first-person interpretation that began on Historic Area streets evolved in 2005 with the introduction of the Nation Builders, a growing cast that includes interpretations of familiar founders like Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry alongside portrayals of lesser known residents and visitors to Williamsburg in the Revolutionary era. The history shared by the Foundation continues to expand with African American interpretation, which began in 1979, exploring the lives of enslaved and free Black Americans who made up more than 50 percent of Williamsburg’s population at the time of the Revolution.
American Indian Encampment
Tribal delegations of American Indians were also a common sight in early Williamsburg. Trade, diplomacy and tensions were all a part of a journey of co-existence navigated by colonists and the American Indian tribes who lived on the land on which the English had settled. The American Indian Encampment in the Historic Area tells that story.
Revolutionary Programming
Today, programming across Colonial Williamsburg draws guests directly into the action. On any given day, visitors may engage in conversation with a diverse array of well-researched, costumed historic interpreters — from Revolutionary thought leader Thomas Jefferson to the first-known ordained Black Baptist preacher Gowan Pamphlet. Guests can ask questions and inspect the work products of dozens of expert artisans at our Historic Trades shops and sites. And at our theaters, people encounter unique perspectives on stage, where performers often involve their audiences directly in their art.
Founded in Research
Research, conservation and historic preservation lie at the heart of Colonial Williamsburg’s mission to present the stories of America’s origins. Every day, these investigations of the past reveal new facts that facilitate our understanding of this nation’s beginnings.
Archaeology
Archaeology was — and is — an important tool in discovering Williamsburg’s past. Excavations of historic sites began here in 1928. Discoveries continue today as we literally uncover things people owned, places they lived and even evidence of the specific plants they grew in their gardens, which enable us to better understand their world and their lives.
Archaeology
Architectural historians’ research helps us see what 18th-century buildings looked like. Preservationists protect the structures that illustrate life in those times.
Conservation
Conservators and curators work together on research and preservation projects — with a little help from modern science — to understand and preserve Colonial Williamsburg’s historic artifacts and artistic works.
Research With Us
Historians dive into primary source documents, original maps, oral histories, census records and more housed at the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library to investigate not just the “what” but the “hows” and the “whys” of Williamsburg’s past.
Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg
The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg include two world-class museums under one roof — the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum and the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum. The museums’ exhibitions draw on collections of more than 67,000 antiques and works of art, as well as 7,000 pieces of American folk art.
Education & Teacher Institute
Through the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute, the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, and a continuously growing menu of digital assets, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation serves as an educational resource for teachers, students, scholars, lifelong learners, informed citizens and history-lovers everywhere.
The Restoration
How do you rebuild an eighteenth-century city? The audacious effort to restore Williamsburg, led by W. A. R. Goodwin and John D. Rockefeller Jr., began a century of research, discovery, and storytelling. Explore the stories of the men and women who have spent decades bringing eighteenth-century Williamsburg alive.
