Capitol (Williamsburg, Virginia) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Capitol
U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property
Reconstruction of the first Capitol at Williamsburg
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Location	Williamsburg, Virginia
Built	1934, based on 1705 original
Architectural style	Colonial Revival
Part of	Williamsburg Historic District (ID66000925)
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966

The Capitol in Williamsburg, Virginia, was a very important building. It was where the government of the Colony of Virginia met. This included the Virginia General Assembly, which made laws, and the Council of State. The House of Burgesses, a group of elected representatives, also met here.

The Capitol was used from 1705 to 1780. Before 1705, the capital was in Jamestown. After 1780, it moved to Richmond. Two different Capitol buildings stood on the same spot. The first one was used from 1705 until it burned down in 1747. The second one was used from 1753 to 1780.

The first Capitol was rebuilt in the early 1930s. This was part of bringing Colonial Williamsburg back to life. This rebuilt Capitol has now been around longer than both original buildings combined!

History of the Capitol Buildings

The First Capitol: 1705 to 1747

In 1698, the Capitol building in Jamestown, Virginia caught fire and was destroyed. After this fire, the leaders of Virginia decided to move the capital. They wanted to build a new one further inland, away from the swampy area of Jamestown.

A new and better Capitol building was built by Henry Cary. He was a contractor who also worked on the Wren Building at the College of William and Mary. The new Capitol started being built in 1701 and was finished in 1705. However, the lawmakers started using it in 1704. In 1714, the Governor's Palace was built nearby.

The first Capitol was shaped like an "H" and had two stories. It was like two buildings connected by an open walkway. Each side was for a different part of the government. One side was for the Council and the General Court. The other side was for the House of Burgesses. To prevent fires, the first Capitol was built without fireplaces. But in 1723, chimneys were added to help keep the building dry. Sadly, on January 30, 1747, the building burned down, leaving only some walls and the foundation.

The Second Capitol: 1753 to 1779

This picture from 1845 shows what the second Capitol might have looked like.

After the first Capitol burned, Governor William Gooch wanted it rebuilt. But some lawmakers thought the government should move to a city closer to trade. While they decided, the House of Burgesses met at the nearby Wren Building.

Finally, in November 1748, they voted to rebuild the Capitol. The vote was very close, 40 to 38! The lawmakers met in the new building for the first time on November 1, 1753.

This second Capitol was a place where big changes happened. On May 29, 1765, Patrick Henry gave a famous speech here against the Stamp Act. Important figures like George Washington, George Mason, George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, and Thomas Jefferson also worked here. They made decisions that led to the American Revolution. As fighting started in the North, discussions in this building led to Virginia's own Virginia Declaration of Rights and its first constitution.

On June 29, 1776, Virginians declared their independence from Great Britain. They wrote their state's first constitution. This happened four days before the Declaration of Independence was voted on in Philadelphia.

The Capitol in Williamsburg was used until the American Revolutionary War began. Governor Thomas Jefferson then suggested moving the capital to Richmond. The building was last used as a capitol on December 24, 1779. The Virginia General Assembly then moved to Richmond in 1780.

After the capital moved, the old Capitol building was used for different things, like a court or a school. Around 1800, one part of the building was removed because it was unsafe. The other part stood until it was destroyed by fire in 1832. After that, there was almost nothing left of the original building.

Rebuilding the Capitol

The building you see in Colonial Williamsburg today is the third Capitol on that spot. In the early 1900s, a minister named Dr. W. A. R. Goodwin started restoring the historic Bruton Parish Church. He dreamed of bringing other old buildings in Williamsburg back to life.

His dream came true when he met John D. Rockefeller Jr., a very wealthy person who loved to help good causes. Together, they started Colonial Williamsburg. The rebuilt Capitol, the Governor's Palace, and the Wren Building are the three main buildings that were restored.

The people who planned the restoration decided to rebuild the first Capitol. They had more information and drawings about its original design. Also, its architecture was very special. Later, experts found that some parts of the rebuilt Capitol, especially its foundations, were made up or guessed. They were based more on modern ideas than on old evidence. However, the rebuilt Capitol is now seen as a great example of Colonial Revival architecture.

The reconstructed Capitol opened to the public on February 24, 1934.

Gallery

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  Reconstruction exterior

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  Reconstructed chamber of the House of Burgesses

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  The reconstructed building at night.

Images for kids

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  Print made with the Bodleian Plate. The first Capitol is shown in the center row on the left.