Field Trips To Colonial Williamsburg

From 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the political, social and cultural capital of Great Britain’s largest, wealthiest and most populous colony. Today, the Historic Area has been restored to its 18th-century glory, and nearly 3 million people visit it annually.
To enter the Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area is to step back in time. The Hall of the House of Burgesses at the Capitol echoes with the voices of Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Mason and other Virginia leaders who debated the issues of freedom and liberty for Virginians.
Stores, shops and taverns along Duke of Gloucester Street bustle with activity. Stop in at the Pasteur and Galt Apothecary Shop and learn about the latest in 18th-century health care techniques. At the Golden Ball silversmith shop, watch as skilled craftspeople turn bars of silver into beautifully ornate punch strainers, goblets and other decorative and useful items.

The silversmith is one of nearly two dozen 18th-century trades demonstrated at Colonial Williamsburg. These trades illustrate the daily work of many Americans during the 1700s.

At the Courthouse you might be invited to be a witness, defendant or judge in a recreation of a court case from the 1700s. Don't forget to have your picture taken in the stocks or pillory!

Across the street is the Magazine, scene of the Gunpowder Incident of April 1775, in which British marines removed the colony's powder under orders from Governor Dunmore. This galvanized the colonists and threatened to launch Virginia into war.

Here, you can learn about the life of an 18th-century soldier. You might even be enlisted to join Williamsburg’s independent company, given a “weapon” and drilled in the finer points of marching.

In Market Square, you’ll find booths with vendors hawking their wares. Pick up a tri cornered hat for m’lord or a decorated straw bonnet for m’lady. Board a horse-drawn carriage or stage wagon and take a tour of the Historic Area.

Young visitors will especially enjoy the James Geddy House and Foundry, where they learn about 18th-century family life and household activities from costumed interpreters their own age. They may even be invited to try their hand at writing with a quill pen, playing a spinet or learning an 18th-century game.

Turn the corner and you are on Palace Green, perhaps the finest neighborhood in 18th-century Williamsburg. Among its wealthy and notable residents were George Wythe, Robert Carter and Thomas Everard. At the head of Palace Green is the Governor’s Palace, reconstructed in 1934 on its original foundations.

The most popular exhibition building with Colonial Williamsburg visitors, the Governor’s Palace was the home of seven royal governors and Virginia’s first two state governors: Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson.

The Palace’s luxurious furnishings are based on an inventory taken when Royal Governor Botetourt died in October 1770. From the front hall to the supper room, the Palace makes a statement about its residents’ power and position in the colony.

After you have visited the Palace, be sure to examine the beautiful Palace gardens. Take note of the broad expanse of open space that can be seen from the back of the Palace. Though it might appear that you are in a rural setting, it is an optical illusion created by a “haha,” a landscaping device that was popular during the 18th century.

Be sure to stop by the wheelwright’s shop in the Palace stable. See how wooden wheels and carts are assembled using 18th-century methods. At the Palace Kitchen, watch as Colonial Williamsburg’s food historians use Dutch ovens, the rotisserie and other open-hearth cooking techniques from the 1700s to prepare food.

Across Palace Green is the Thomas Everard House. Decorated in the latest 18th-century colors, it was the home of Thomas Everard, a wealthy and respected town leader. Also housed on Palace Green is the colonial home of George Wythe, legal scholar, lawyer and mentor to Thomas Jefferson. This two-story brick home is typical of a gentry-class dwelling.

Down Palace Street is the rural trades site, where you can learn about Virginia’s cash crops and watch as craftsmen reproduce the hogsheads, casks and baskets that were used to store them.

At the Peyton Randolph House on Nicholson Street at Market Square, learn about the Randolphs, a leading Williamsburg family split apart during the 1770s over conflicting loyalties. Peyton Randolph was Speaker of the House of Burgesses and President of the First and Second Continental Congress. His brother, John, was a loyalist who, along with his family, returned to England prior to the Revolution.

Watch as historic trades carpenters reconstruct Randolph’s urban plantation. The Historic Area is filled with structures built by carpenters and brick makers, using tools and methods from the 1700s.

Down the street from the carpenter’s yard is the Gaol. One of Colonial Williamsburg’s original 18th-century buildings, it housed prisoners until 1910. Criminals awaiting trial and debtors unable to settle their accounts were held here, as were pirates, marauding Indians and runaway slaves.

There are more than 90 acres of gardens and greens showing a range of 18th-century landscaping designs and a variety of uses, from purely decorative to strictly functional.

In addition to Thomas Jefferson and Martha Washington, you might encounter members of the enslaved community. More than half of Williamsburg’s community was of African descent. All are very friendly folk and eager to discuss their life in Williamsburg and events on the eve of the American Revolution.

Fall in step as Colonial Williamsburg’s musical ambassadors, the Fife and Drum Corps, march down Duke of Gloucester Street. The Corps performs several afternoons a week and weekends in the spring.