Williamsburg Mythbusters

by Debi Lander, an AOL Travel Contributor

This article appears on the AOL Travel Website, however, the author’s photos have been substituted here.

Colonial Williamsburg is the quintessential living history museum. The site includes 301 acres with 88 original buildings, 500 reconstructed houses, shops, public buildings, working craftsmen and costumed interpreters. The popular tourist area, close to Richmond and Norfolk, is known as the Historic Triangle of Virginia, which also includes Jamestown and Yorktown. Take the following true-false quiz and see if you are one of the Williamsburg mythbusters.

1. The College of William & Mary, founded in 1693, is the second oldest college in the United States.

TRUE. Harvard was the first school of higher learning founded in 1636. Classes at the College of William & Mary began in temporary quarters in 1694, until the Wren Building was constructed. The Wren Building, which is the oldest college building in the country, has been returned to its original design by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The College of William and Mary was named in honor of the reigning English monarchs of the time, and was a key factor in establishing Williamsburg as capital of Virginia in 1698.

The College of William & Mary
327 Richmond Rd
Williamsburg, VA 23186
757-221-4000

2. The popular fictional American Girl character, Felicity Merriman, hails from Colonial Williamsburg, and her story is set in the year 1774.

TRUE. Original American Girl doll founder, Pleasant Roland, wanted to find an appropriate Christmas present for her nieces. She disliked the high fashion Barbie-type dolls; hence, didn’t want to buy a baby doll. While in Williamsburg, she came up with the concept of American Girl dolls and formed The Pleasant Company. Ms. Pleasant followed her own American dream, selling off her company to Mattel in1998 for $700 million. And that’s not a Williamsburg urban legend.

Colonial Capitol Building, Williamsburg, VA

3. Patrick Henry made his “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” speech in the Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg.

FALSE. Patrick Henry made his impassioned cry against the English in the House of Burgesses on March 23, 1775, in St. John’s Church in Richmond. Henry was calling for military action against the approaching British army. The urban myth claims that the crowd jumped up and shouted “To Arms! To Arms!” after the speech.

Historians have begun to question the authenticity of Henry’s alleged words, because they were unrecorded until 18 years after his death, but we will never know.

4. Virginia has had three capital cities: Jamestown, Williamsburg and Richmond.

TRUE. Jamestown was the first English settlement in the U.S., and also the first capital of Virginia. The capital moved to Williamsburg from 1698 to 1780, making it the political, social, and cultural hub in Virginia. It then moved on to Richmond at the urging of Thomas Jefferson, who feared the Williamsburg location was vulnerable to a British attack. During the Civil War, Richmond became the capital of the Confederacy and remains the capital of Virginia today.

5. Virginia was named for England’s “Virgin Queen,” Elizabeth I.

TRUE. Virginia was named for England’s famous unwed queen, Elizabeth I. Interestingly, Queen Elizabeth II has visited Colonial Williamsburg twice. Her original trip in 1957 celebrated the 350th anniversary of England’s first settlement in the New World at Jamestown. Her most recent visit in May 2007 occurred during the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown Settlement.

6. The establishment and reconstruction of the colonial capital of Williamsburg was the dream of an Episcopalian priest.

Sign marks the Tavern on Duke of Gloucester Street

TRUE. In 1907 Reverend W.A.R. Goodwin, the pastor of Williamsburg’s Bruton Parish Church, worked to save the original structure. Shortly thereafter, he moved away, but returned to the city in 1923. After seeing the deterioration of the other colonial-era buildings, he dreamed of saving them.

Goodwin looked for support and financing from a number of sources and finally inked a plan with philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. Their combined efforts created Colonial Williamsburg, with detailed plans for the accurate restoration of much of the city.

Bruton Parish Episcopal Church
331 W Duke of Gloucester St
Williamsburg, VA 23185
757-229-2891

7. Williamsburg fine dining restaurants, Christiana Campbell’s, Chowning’s, King’s Arms, and Shield’s, taverns prepare their food on the open hearth.

FALSE. Although the food served in these Williamsburg restaurants can be traced back to similar fare served to colonists, Williamsburg mythbusters know that the ingredients and preparation take place in modern kitchens. The servers, however, are dressed in period clothing and the dishes, flatware and goblets are authentic reproductions of 18th century items.

Christina Campbell’s Tavern
101 South Waller St
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
757-229-2141
Hours vary

Chowning’s Tavern
109 East Duke of Gloucester St
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
757-229-2141
Hours vary

King’s Arms Tavern
416 East Duke of Gloucester St
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
757-229-2141
Hours vary

Shields Tavern
422 East Duke of Gloucester St
757-229-2141
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
Hours vary

8. Colonial Williamsburg has been criticized for becoming almost a theme park of reenactments.

TRUE. Foundation president, Colin Campbell has said, “Presenting American history in a place that is both a tourist attraction and an education landmark leads to inevitable strains between entertainment and authenticity.”

Sadly, Williamsburg mythbusters, even the Foundation’s 1996 publication conceded that “Colonial Williamsburg bears the burden of criticism that the restored town appears too neat and clean, too ‘spick-and-span’, and too manicured to be believable.”

The Corner Chat- Williamsburg Reenactors

I visited Mount Vernon shortly after new museums opened in 2007 and shared this story in Chesapeake Family Magazine. I still love the old house and grounds, but believe the addition of state-of-the- art technology in the museums makes a visit or return mandatory.

New Museums: Grand Old House

George Washington sleeps in his tomb at Mount Vernon, as he has for the past 210 years. However, most Americans believe he slept in every city, state, and tavern up and down the east coast during his 67 years of life. Confusing myths grow like vines on a forgotten gravestone, intertwined with few facts about the real George.

To awaken national interest and debunk untrue stories, the Mount Vernon Ladies Association spearheaded a $100 million campaign. They built new educational centers and a museum mostly underground — leaving the original, tranquil grounds undisturbed. The decade-long project was completed two years ago — in time to celebrate GW’s 275^th birthday.

Visitors discover rarely seen glimpses of our first president, through the action-adventure move, “We Fight to be Free,” featured in the Ford Orientation Center .Young Washington, a British officer under General Braddock, encounters a violent attack during the French and Indian War.Braddock is mortally wounded, so GW takes charge of the regiment, though, in this battle they are defeated.

In addition, guests may be surprised to learn that as a plantation owner, George experimented with crop rotation, ran a lucrative fishery and owned the largest whiskey distillery in the colonies.

Another exhibit drawing attention is an intricately crafted dollhouse, an exact one-twelfth replica of the mansion. Fifty miniaturists spend over five years creating flickering candle lights and fireplaces that glow, needlepoint rugs, hand-painted china and bedrooms prepared for guests (apparently a common practice for the Washingtons, as they had 637 overnight visitors one year).

Some choose to tour the historic estate and gardens, hike to the tomb or visit (April- October) the working Pioneer Farm. Others proceed directly to the Reynolds Education Center and Museum, featuring state-of-the-art galleries, interactive displays and five additional theaters.

The exhibits teach through an osmosis-like process, slipping knowledge into the minds of children and teens without their notice.The atmosphere is a pleasing new-age design:a combination of a natural history museum with Disney-type animated motion, wax figures Madame Tussard would envy, a theater in the round and computer games.Despite all the gadgetry, the presentation retains a reverence for the genteel hero, without sugar coating his lifestyle or his era.

My teenage daughter raved about the Revolutionary War film, complete with seats that rumble during cannon fire and falling snowflakes during scenes re-enacting the crossing of the Delaware.

Toddlers explore the hands-on history room, bursting with child-sized colonial costumes, a push-button mural that produces the sound farm animals and 18-th century toys.

I overheard a teenage girl joke that a forensically age-reversed wax replica of nineteen-year-old George liked “sorta hot.” A father and son jumped with fright when a surprising cough arose from a lifelike sleeping soldier, encamped at a reconstruction of Valley Forge.

Most tourists seem fascinated by the famous false teeth, encased similar to the crown jewels’ display in London.The dentures aren’t wood, but human and animal teeth sunk into a metal contraption.No wonder the picture on the dollar bill depicts a puffy-faced George.

The Reynolds Museum, another 6,000 square-foot complex, houses over 500 Washington artifacts including a portrait gallery, Martha’s table set for entertaining, a war room full of military memorabilia, jewelry displays and original documents. History buffs savor the previously unseen treasures.

By George, anyone wishing to learn about Washington and our country’s past can triumph at Mount Vernon .The place isn’t asleep; it’s awake with new energy and dancing (not on Washington’s grave), but under a slumbering old homestead.

If you go:

Mount Vernon is located in Virginia, just 16 miles from downtown Washington, DC.The estate is open 365 days a year and includes on-site dining options.Usual admission fees are $15 for adults, Seniors are $14, youth ages 6-11 are $7 and children 5 and under are free.

The Distillery is open from April to October.

Visit www.mountvernon.org for additional information.

ByLanderSea Travel Tales

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Tag Archives: Virginia

Fact or Fiction? Questions about Williamsburg, Virginia