Chapter Three Introduction
3.1.1 History of the original Williamsburg
Williamsburg is located on the Virginia Peninsula and lies between small tributaries of the York and James River, and was founded as “Middle Plantation” in 1632. The second oldest university in the United States--William and Mary was founded there. In 1698, due to the burning of the statehouse in Jamestown, the first capital of Virginia Colony, Middle Plantation succeeded as the new capital of the Colony of Virginia. A year later, the General Assembly of Virginia passed an act, which authorized the city to have a new name--Williamsburg, in honor of King William III of England. In addition, it entitled “An act directing the building the Capitol and the City of Williamsburg” …show more content…
21) is another distinctive piece of architecture in Williamsburg. This wooden structure was erected on the north side of the Duke of Gloucester Street, next to the Capitol. It was two stories in height and a leaden bust of Sir Walter Raleigh was placed above its door. The exact erection date was unknown, but the Tavern stood forth with a persistent prominence since the middle of the eighteenth century. It was a landmark of commerce for public assembly and of public auction. Besides merchants and traders, students of the College of William and Mary, politicians, commissioners, and executors would all come to the this …show more content…
Similarly, a number of colonial descendants also owned and inhabited the town when the restoration began. In the case of Kuanzhai, the majority of former residents were forced to move out. This was due to Kuanzhai’s development into a commercial area, which would need to exclude residential elements as much as possible. Williamsburg handled this differently, as the residents of Williamsburg received cash for selling their houses and a “life tenure” free from rent, tax, insurance and repairs. Allowing the residents to return to Williamsburg after its restoration and reconstruction was a method of keeping Colonial Williamsburg alive as well as present an authentic community to its tourists. The vote of 150 for the project and 5 against in a town meeting on 1928 indicated that the majority of attending residents trusted the restoration. Most families were satisfied with the money they received. More importantly, the town’s residents developed great pride for the community they are living in, the shrine of American colonial