A destination where we’ve wanted to go to for a number of years is Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. As the 2nd capital in Virginia’s history, it led the way as the colonies were breaking away from England in the 1770s. The town has been restored to its former glory for us all to see. An annual pass means we get to come back here in December to see the town decorated for Christmas and the places we missed on this trip.
First, though, we want to show you our campground, the Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center, about 30 minutes away from Colonial Williamsburg. They have wooded sites for camping with nearby bath houses, a pavilion, tennis courts, basketball, swimming, and open fields. The staff is wonderful, and the dining room looks inviting.
We knew we were back in the South when we saw Chick-fil-A, Waffle House. and one of the northernmost Publix.
Now to Colonial Williamsburg!
The visitors center welcomed us to our adventure in Virginia. We learned from this sign that the city was the capital of the British Colony of Virginia from 1699-1776. That final year it became the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1776-1780 when the capital was moved inland to Richmond to keep it safe from the British during the war.
Even the entrance to the women’s restroom got us into the mood of the 1700s.
The city sits on the spit of land between the York and James Rivers south of the Chesapeake Bay.
This 18th century city is the world’s largest living history museum, boasting over 40 sites and trades, 4 historic taverns, and 2 world class museums. When laid out, it became the first planned community in the new land. From the map we can see that it’s loosely in the shape of a T.
On the east is the state capital; at the other end of the Duke of Gloucester Street is William and Mary College. At the northern end is the Governor’s Palace where Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson lived after 1776. In front of the palace is a wide Palace Green with wide roads for the carriages that would carry important people from the capitol to the palace. Homes and businesses were on both sides of the green.
The city is divided into 3 areas: Palace Green (yellow), Market Square (red), and Capital (blue). We’ll use these divisions as we stroll along. Today is Palace Green that includes the Governor’s Palace and chocolate making in the kitchen. We didn’t make it to the other buildings in this area but hope to see some when we come back at Christmas time. The 4th post about Colonial Williamsburg will cover why and how the city was reconstructed—such an interesting story!
Governor’s Palace – A Symbol of Royal Authority
“Enter the years immediately before the Revolution and experience the grandeur of royal government in Virginia just before its collapse. Feel the tension between the rulers and the ruled in this revolutionary as the British government’s authority was increasingly questioned. Home to seven royal governors and the first two elected governors in Virginia, the Palace was meant to project British authority and wealth. From the large display of period swords and guns to the elegant décor and grand ballroom, the Palace was built to impress.” (info from website)
When the British first planned the Governor’s Palace, their intent was to make it as impressive as they could since it was going to be the seat of the British government in the colony. The wide roads and beautiful buildings accomplished their goal.
Outside of the green room were the large beautiful formal gardens that many would have enjoyed walking through.
Here’s an aerial view of the palace from the Colonial Williamsburg’s website.
making chocolate
By 1773, cocoa beans were a major import in the American colonies, and chocolate was enjoyed by people of all classes. During the Revolutionary War, chocolate was provided to the military as rations and sometimes given to soldiers as payment instead of money. But to make the chocolate from the cocoa beans took a lot of effort, and in the palace’s kitchen we were treated with these women making the chocolate that we’ll be able to enjoy later on in Charlton’s Coffeehouse, the city’s coffeehouse that’s near the capitol.
I found this information on the history of chocolate in the American colonies:
“A method for making a chocolate drink was written in 1769 in The Experienced English Housekeeper: ‘Scrape four ounces of chocolate and pour a quart of boiling water upon it; mix it well and sweeten it to your taste; give it a boil and let it stand all night; then mix it again very well; boil it in two minutes, then mix it till it will leave the froth upon the tops of your cups.'”
“By 1773, the demand for chocolate in the colonies resulted in the importation of over 320 tons of cocoa beans. Drinking chocolate was affordable to all classes of people and was available in most coffee houses, where colonists would gather to talk about politics and the news of the day.”
As we left the Governor’s Palace to see the rest of the city, this is the street along the Palace Green that we walked along to get to the rest of the city.
Next is the Market Square.
