Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg VA | Nearby Businesses

• Historical Place
• Museum
• Resort

101 Visitor Center Dr
Williamsburg, VA 23185
(888) 974-7926

The Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Virginia was the official residence of the Royal Governors of the Colony of Virginia. It was also a home for two of Virginia's post-colonial governors, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson, until the capital was moved to Richmond in 1780, and with it the Governor's residence. The main house burned down in 1781, though the outbuildings survived for some time after.The Governor's Palace was reconstructed in the 1930s on its original site. It is one of the two largest buildings at Colonial Williamsburg, the other being the Capitol.HistoryWilliamsburg was established as the new capital of the Virginia colony in 1699, and served in that capacity until 1780. During most of that period, the Governor's Palace was the official residence of the royal governor.Construction and designThe palace was funded by the House of Burgesses in 1706 at the behest of Lt. Governor Edward Nott. It was built from 1706 onward. In 1710, its first official resident was Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood who served as acting governor; the governor proper, George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney was absentee and is not known to have visited Virginia. Spottwood continued to improve on it until ca. 1720–1722, adding the forecourt, gardens, and various decorations.

The Wren Building is the signature building of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. Along with the Brafferton and President's House, these buildings form the College's Ancient Campus.Construction of the first building on this site began August 8, 1695 and was completed by 1700. After several fires and rebuildings, the Wren Building was the first major building restored or reconstructed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., after he and the Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin began Colonial Williamsburg's restoration in the late 1920s. The building's current state dates to the 20th-century restoration by Boston architects Perry Shaw & Hepburn. The College named the building in honor of the English architect Sir Christopher Wren, after the Reverend Hugh Jones, a William and Mary mathematics professor, wrote in 1724 that the College Building was "modeled by Sir Christopher Wren". Perry Shaw and Hepburn's restoration reflects the building's historic appearance from its reconstruction in 1716 after a 1705 fire to 1859, when it burned again.The building is constructed out of red brick in the style of Flemish Bond, as was typical for official buildings in 17th- and 18th-century Williamsburg, including several walls remaining from previous structures, and it contains classrooms, offices, a refectory (known as the Great Hall), kitchen, and a chapel (added as a south wing in 1732). On the top of the building is a weather vane with the number 1693, the year the College was founded. In the early 1770s, plans were drawn up to complete the building as a quadrangle. Alumnus Thomas Jefferson (class of 1762) drew up a floorplan submitted to Governor Dunmore and foundations were laid in 1774. The looming War of Independence halted further construction, however, and the fourth wing was never completed. The foundations, however, still exist.

Williamsburg Inn is a historic large resort hotel located at Williamsburg, Virginia. It was built in three phases between 1937 and 1972. The original section was designed by Perry Dean Rogers Architects and is dominated by a two-story portico which stands atop a ground floor arcade. It is a three-story, seven-bay, Colonial Revival style brick structure. It has two-story flanking wings in an "H"-shape. The East Wing addition, also by Perry Dean Rogers Architects, consists of multiple wings of guest rooms set at right angles to one another. A third phase embracing the Regency Dining Room and its adjoining courtyard, was completed in 1972. The Williamsburg Inn is one of the nation's finest resort hotels, internationally acclaimed for its accommodations, service and cuisine. It represented John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s commitment to bring the message of Williamsburg to a larger audience of influential Americans.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. Williamsburg Inn is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.The Williamsburg Inn, has also hosted twice Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1957 and 2007 whilst visiting Jamestown, Virginia the original settlement of the British colonists on the 350th and 400th anniversaries when the British first landed in America. This was in conjunction, with their official state visits of the United States which furthermore did not begin officially until the Queen and the President met formally at the White House.

Merchants Square is an 18th-century style retail village in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.HistoryConceived in 1927 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Reverend W. A. R. Goodwin, Merchants Square is considered to be one of the first planned shopping districts in the United States, if not the first. Small shops throughout Williamsburg would move into a centrally located area that used architecture that was in harmony with the restoration’s character.Most of the stores and shops are located on Duke of Gloucester Street (DoG St.) right across from The College of William & Mary’s campus. To keep the area as close to historical accuracy as possible, all telephone wires were placed underground, and modern day technologies such as air-conditioning ducts and garage equipment were hidden with shrubs and plantings.Present dayToday there are over 40 shops and restaurants located in Merchants Square. The area is also used for other purposes, such as seasonal concerts, a farmers' market, and special movie screenings.

The Capitol at Williamsburg, Virginia housed the House of Burgesses of the Colony of Virginia from 1705, when the capital was relocated there from Jamestown, until 1779, when the capital was relocated to Richmond. Two capitol buildings served the colony on the same site: the first from 1705 until its destruction by fire in 1747; the second from 1753 to 1779.The earlier capitol was reconstructed in the early 1930s as part of the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. The reconstruction has thus lasted longer than the combined total of both original capitol buildings.HistoryFirst Williamsburg Capitol (1705–1747)In 1698, the Capitol building in Jamestown, Virginia burned. Following the fire, the government of Virginia decided to relocate inland, away from the swamps at the Jamestown site.A better Capitol building was constructed by Henry Cary, a contractor finishing work on the College of William and Mary's Wren Building (the legislature's temporary home). Begun in 1701, the Capitol was completed in 1705, although the legislature moved in during 1704. In 1714, the Governor's Palace was constructed between the College and the Capitol.The Colonial Capitol was a two-story H-shaped structure, functionally two buildings connected by an arcade. Each wing served one of the two houses of the Virginia legislature, the Council and the House of Burgesses. The first floor of the west building was for the General Court and the colony's secretary, the first floor of the east for the House of Burgesses and its clerk. As a result of the fires that had destroyed several prior Virginia capitols, Cary built the first Capitol without fireplaces. In 1723, chimneys were added for fireplaces to help keep the Capitol dry. On January 30, 1747, the building burned and only some walls and the foundation remained.

A 1 hour and 30 minute walking tour by candlelight. You will hear ghost stories, forlklore and legends based on the book " The Ghosts of Williamsburg" by author L.B. Taylor, Jr. As you stroll the moon drenched streets of this colonial Capital you will stop briefly outside the homes, buildings and shops where you will hear the stories and interviews L.B. had with people who lived, visited and worked inside. We also blend local lore, legends and historic trivia of the area as well... helping to make this the #1 most requested evening program in historic Williamsburg after 26 year's!There are many copy cats...don't be disappointed. Make sure you take the "Original" Ghosts of Williamsburg candlelight tour!

Matthew Whaley School is a historic school building located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Georgian Revival structure was built between 1929 and 1930 based on a design by noted Virginia architect Charles M. Robinson. The monumental school building was located adjacent to the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg and "quickly became a local landmark of considerable architectural pretension." The building's exterior features Flemish bond brickwork with glazed headers trimmed with a modillion cornice, and a hipped slate roof pierced by gables and topped with a pair of glazed cupolas. The structure has been well preserved with little alteration. The school was operated as a training school for the College of William and Mary and as a general public school serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. In 1955, James Blair High School opened, and the Matthew Whaley School became a grammar school serving children from kindergarten through fifth grade. From 1997 to 1998, the school underwent a $5.4 million renovation which included improvements to make the building accessible to the handicapped and refurbishing the original slate roof.In June 2004, the Virginia Board of Historic Resources added the school to the Virginia Landmarks Register. The building was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places in August 2004.Matthew Whaley is part of the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools system.External ListSchool Website

Wythe House was the Williamsburg, Virginia home of George Wythe, signer of the Declaration of Independence and father of American jurisprudence. It is located in what is now Colonial Williamsburg, on Palace Green, adjacent to Bruton Parish Church. The property was declared a National Historic Landmark on April 15, 1970.HistoryThe Wythe House once belonged to George Wythe's father-in-law, Richard Taliaferro. The house was constructed between 1752 to 1754 and was conceived as a whole with no additions made to the rectangular two story structure. The house was built during a period of time when the Governor's Palace was being renovated.The house remained as the sole household of Taliaferro when his daughter Elizabeth married George Wythe in 1755. The couple received the house as a wedding present from Taliafero and they received a life tenancy upon his death in 1779. Elizabeth lived here until her death in 1787, and George moved to Richmond, Virginia in 1791 to serve as a judge.The house served as headquarters for General George Washington - September 14 to 17, and 22 to 28, 1781 - prior to the Siege of Yorktown.The house saw several subsequent owners. In 1926 the Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin, Rector of adjoining Bruton Parish Church, established his offices on the second floor after the Parish acquired the building for church use. Dr. Goodwin is known as the "Father of Colonial Williamsburg." Colonial Williamburg officially obtained the property in 1938, and in 1939 the interior was restored to the form and appearance the Wythe family would have known.

Guided, walking tour by lantern light filled with historic facts of the life and times of Historic Williamsburg in the 18th Century. Tales and legends of ghostly experiences and sightings are woven in to this historic tour making it fun, interesting, and mysterious. Guaranteed to be a hauntingly good time! Reserve your place early at: [email protected], or call the reservation hotline at 757-565-0311. New dates for our 2014 Winter Season begin in February (Saturday evenings only, February - April, starting at 7pm). Schedule early to get your preferred tour date!

The Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance and the members of Sports Williamsburg look forward to working with any sporting event. We welcome guests to our destination and make their experience in the Williamsburg area a favorite family memory. From initial planning to post-event completion, we want to make events in the Williamsburg area a great success!

Sotherly Hotels is a real estate investment trust (REIT) and is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol SOHO. Sotherly is the next generation in a long history of companies built on a foundation of service, integrity and hospitality – characteristics instilled by our predecessor’s founder, Edgar Sims, more than 55 years ago. Our strategy is steeped in the belief that practical analysis, coupled with a commitment to true Southern hospitality, leads to prudent investments that will produce the greatest long-term results.

Whatever your destination we can get you there. We're award winning travel agents and will get you to where you want to go with the least hassle possible. From a world cruise aboard an incredible ship to flights across the country, we've got it covered.