0930 hours, 25 June, 2012
Takeover of the capitol underway, currently infiltrating the legislative facilities, given the areas history for conflagration, all units have been advised to use extreme care to ensure that all assets are taken intact.
There is a lot of very well preserved history throughout the U.S. although some of it is preserved through folk tale and even outright myth
not to mention abject misconception, as illustrated in this little bit of animation here
But far more of that history actually is made up of physical artifacts that can actually be touched or at least seen with your own eyes. Most of that type of history is well protected and maintained in the myriad of museums that dot the landscape. But some bits of physical history are just too large to be contained inside a building. Say something like
a building (although there are
exceptions to even that rule)
Williamsburg is chock full of such historical edifices and the official Colonial Williamsburg section of town also known as Old Town is ground zero for experiencing these fine vintage structures.
Well, sorta
Actually, some of them arent quite as vintage as one might at first believe, although they all certainly convey the feel and practical aspects of real places from a bygone era. Its a little bit like the way that Disney conveys a feel for the Mid-America of about 1904 with their Main Street USA sections of the MK and DL parks. You are imeadiatly immersed and you quickly accept what you are seeing and experiencing, but maybe its just a little bit too clean
a little too polished
Take for instance one of the first major structures we would encounter. Its over three hundred years old yet construction was begun and completed in 1930s. Even when you use new math
that dont quit add up.
So whats up with these discrepancies in chronology?
And what do a determined Reverend and an entrepreneur with an image problem have to do with it?
And just how many times can a building burn to the ground and still exist?
And just how is it that a fairly new historical structure can be so old that the historical folks whos actions are being commemorated within it are themselves too young to have been inside the building in the first place?
And so if nothing is what it seems, then just what is it that we are actually experiencing here anyway?
And then theres this painful question: is this chapter actually a chapter or is it a dreaded bonus feature in disguise?
Confused yet?
Wait
it gets worse from here.
Actually, it gets better, but you still have to read my writing, so thats the worse part of the equation I was on about. Either way, its time to get crackin
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The Second Capitol
Monday morning we were up with the dawn and after taking full advantage of the offerings in the Hamptons complimentary mess hall, we were off on the next mission. Today the objective was to actually spend some time in the historical part of Williamsburg, so we headed back to the Visitors center (where the parking in plentiful and free). From there it was just a matter of catching one of those time-machine-bus type contraptions and having it take us right back to the spot where wed previously ended our first sortie into the Colonial Capitol
the bus stop on Waller St. at the far eastern side of the Old Town.
Williamsburg differs from most other living history museums in that anyone can walk through the historic district free of charge at any hour of the day and even enter any of the retail shops or restaurants (if you have reservations that is). However, if you want to get inside the historic buildings, or attend any of the scheduled performances, then you need a pass. Not a problem, passes we already had, so off we went. The plan was to start off by spending some time exploring the Capitol Building and then work our way from this sector back through town. But first we encountered this very simple structure
That is the Presbyterian Meetinghouse. Interestingly, its not referred to as a church and that is partly because prior to the revolution, the only legal church in Virginia was the Church of England. The locals werent quite as strict about that as Parliament was back in the Mother County though. Just call it a meetinghouse and then you can discuss anything you want to discuss during those meetings.
Also note the Union Jack displayed in front of the building. That tells you that it is part of the historical display in the old town and also that you need a pass to get inside. Generally, when you see one, its a call that theres something there that needs top be checked out.
The simplicity you can see in the structure of the Meetinghouse reflected the values of the Presbyterians at the time and it was carried on throughout the spare interior as well
At different times of the day there are interpreters in period dress stationed throughout the Old Town that will answer questions or even act out a part. But there were none stationed here at the time so our guest soldier decided to make a guest appearance as a guest speaker at the pulpit. The boy is far less camera shy then the rest of my family so he actually ends up in more of my pictures then my own son. Thats not favoritism; its just the nature of the two youngens being displayed for posterity.
From there we followed the map from right to left and ended up at one of the structures that we really wanted to explore in depth
the Capitol Building.
There were a series of benches sitting in the shade in front of the south entrance to the capitol. We figured that the folks gathering there were waiting for the next tour to begin and decided to wait with them. Sitting is good (it was going to be a long day) and shade was even better (even this early in the day, the prevalent mixture of heat and humidity was turning the air quite Southern). Not long after we joined the crowd an interpreter did indeed appear and begin to engage the group
He was very knowledgeable and rather entertaining to listen too. You can always tell when your listening to someone that not only knows what theyre talking about, but absolutely loves to share that knowledge as well. After a bit of introduction, he then led us up to the portico at the center of the Capitol and into the chamber on the right-hand side where we were invited to take out seats as honorary members to the House of Burgesses
Both a very grand room and a simply designed and appointed space (features common in eighteenth-century colonial buildings; a display of craftsmanship over ostentation). Here we were seated along the same benches where founding fathers discussed the concerns of independence and delivered iconic speeches devoted to liberty and revolution
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
Except that speech wasnt delivered here. That one was presented during a meeting of Colony delegates at Saint John's Church up the road in Richmond.
Ok
then how about Patricks earlier and equally noteworthy Brutus speech
"Caesar had his Brutus; Charles the First his Cromwell; and George the Third ....may he profit by their example. If this be treason, make the most of it!"
Well, actually
its not quite that straight forward. First off, since no notes were taken at either assembly, theres no proof that either quote is precise as uttered or if they were embellished after the fact by historians and biographers. It is certain that mister Henry was passionate and that he made his points with great vigor though. It is also true that he did deliver that second speech I listed before the House of Burgesses and on this very spot, but not exactly here
Say what?
OK history time (thats your queue to run screaming into the night).
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A History of Combustion
As you learned from my previous chapters, Williamsburg was not the original capitol of Virginia. That was Jamestown, which was having a rough go of it at first. To succeed, the business concern that ruled over the colony realized that they needed to get more folks to settle there. After some time, they realized that accomplishing that would necessitate some rather radical notions like allowing folks own the land and even to have a say in their governance (while still maintaining ultimate veto power for themselves of course). To that end a representative body was elected from among the colonists and it first met in the towns church in 1619 (twelve years after first landing). Shortly after its formation a meetinghouse for said Burgesses was built. Unfortunately it burned down not long after construction
Fires happen
especially where fireplaces exist (thats one reason kitchens were generally built separate from living quarters for many years). Not a problem
they just erected another one
Which later burned as well
After this same scenario of loosing the capitol to fire was played out for the forth time (yes I said: fourth), theyd had enough and took the opportunity to solve some other problems as well by moving temporarily to Middle Plantation. This was on the high ground eleven miles inland and near the recently established college of William and Mary. The move away from the swamps at the Jamestown site were made permanent in 1699 and the town growing up around the college was renamed Williamsburg.
A new capitol needed a new statehouse, so the government hired Henry Cary as the general contractor for the job (which was good for Henry as hed just finished construction of the main build for the college and was looking for a new venture). Work started in 1701 and officially ended in 1705. Being as all the prior capitol buildings had burned down, Cary built this new one without fireplaces. The legislators however had shorter memories and added four fireplaces just eighteen years later to help keep the building dry. Twenty-four years after that
the Capitol burned down to its foundations.
Noticing a pattern here?
Not to worry though as a new building was erected is 1753
(a view of the west elevation looking east0
and its inside that building where all of the Revolutionary history we were discussing took place. Once actual warfare reached Virginia however, it was decided that the capital should be relocated to Richmond where it could be better defended and supplied if need be. This move took place at the end of 1779 and Williamsburg ceased to be the seat of government for Virginia from that point forward. The British army used the existing building during the conflict and afterward it fell into disrepair. Over time it was partially dismantled for the materials. That process was brought to a halt in 1823 when what was left
burned to the ground.
(a rather different view from the same west side of the building)
All this leads to an obvious question: If the building was destroyed, then how is it that we were touring said structure and being led through the General Court room housed in the western wing of the building
Or walking the wide hall over top of the portico that was the only enclosed connection between the courtroom and the house chamber
Or discussing the types of legislation that might be discussed in one of the committee chambers
Or getting a glimpse of the upstairs chamber that housed the Colonial Council (an appointed body that acted as a senior branch of the legislature similar to that of our Senate of the English House of Lords)
.
(Oh, and by the way
the fact that the Council was up stairs and the House was downstairs lead to the common usage of the terms Upper House and Lower House being used to describe the two halves of our current congress.)
So if this isnt exactly a historic building
then what is it?
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The Restoration
A Fading Meteor
That was how one nineteenth-century journalist described Williamsburg. Once it was a rapidly growing hub of wealth, culture, education and politics, but fortunes change. With the move of the capitol to Richmond in 1780, came the exodus of most of the prominent movers and shakers (along with much of the business that supports them). Williamsburg settled into the roles of dusty hamlet and travelers way station. And for better then a century, it pretty much stayed that way. As major sources of revenue the town came to rely on three institutions: The courthouse (home of the Hustings Court and itself a bona fide historic building), the College of William and Mary (which being originally associated with the Church of England, lost much of its prominence after the revolution) and one other facility that did not make the move along with the wealth and power brokers. Specifically: the Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds (which did continue to grow and expand). This combination led to an unfortunate description of the town as being "500 Lazies supported by 500 Crazies".
But that lack of attention paid by the outside world also meant that there wasnt much presser for civic expansion. So rather then replacing many of the older structures with newer ones, the older ones were often repurposed. This all began to change in the early part of the twentieth century when the Reverend William Archer Rutherfoord Goodwin became rector of the historic Bruton Parish Church (which is also a true period structure built around 1711).
Goodwin was a tireless man who also had a grander vision of what the town could be and should be. Along with the Church, he worked to have the buildings of the college restored to their original luster (and to attract more thinkers and students to them). Then he set about working on his grandest notion: the restoration if the entire town. That would require money though, and lots of it. Being resourceful and persuasive, he succeeded in recruiting another believer to the cause. One with considerable resources
Thats the reverend up there on the left talking to his partner, John D. Rockefeller Jr. The Rockefellers actually had a long history of philanthropy mostly toward education. Another thing they had was a well-earned negative reputation; that of ruthless business cutthroats on par with any of the great James Bond villains when it came to their desires for world domination. To temper that less savory second image, the family turned more and more toward charitable endeavors. This particular one just happened to be a very public display and offered much in the way of abating some of that criticism being heaped upon the family name.
With these two men now allied, the cloak and dagger work could commence. They quietly started buying up various properties in the oldest part of town. Being concerned that prices might spike if folks figured out what they were up to, Rockefeller and Goodwin kept their plans a secret.
Sounds oddly familiar to another storyline that we all know.
Now dont it?
But as you might imagine, when that much property suddenly starts changing hands, it gets noticed. After eighteen months of increasingly nervous rumors, Goodwin and Rockefeller finally revealed their plans to the rest of the world n June of 1928. The work of restoration has been steadily continuing ever since.
Streets were unpaved, sidewalks were pulled out, colonial building were restored and even had later additions removed to bring them back in line with the new vision. "Newer structures" (a fairly relative term) were also bought up and demolished. These changes even including a fairly recent high school building and the facilities of the power and electric company (built on land adjacent to the now restored town green and Governors Palace)
All of these things were removed and older structures were either restored or recreated on their original sites and as close to eighteenth century specifications as possible. This includes the Capitol Building that started me on this detour in the first place. But there is one little deviation from the revolutionary period in town and it relates again to the Capitol. Because of better existing documentation and records, the design used for the restored Capitol was that of the first building to stand on the site. The one that burned down prior to the beginning of much of the unrest that led to separation form Mother England. So while we were being shown around an amazing and faithful restoration of a significant, colonial edifice, it just was not the building whos halls and chambers the rabble-rousers of the revolution were familiar with.
So now you know
Heres a little video that the fine folks who look after Colonial Williamsburg put together that talks about the transition somewhat more eloquently then my rambling mess of a chapter update come bonus feature did
Enjoy!!
Next up: We invade the business district, and
there will be considerably fewer unwarranted off-topic dissertations
(you may begin rejoicing immediately)
Something to do with Florida real estate, if I recall.
