Wythe House facts for kids
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Wythe House
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View of the Wythe House from Palace Street
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | W side of the Palace Green, Williamsburg, Virginia |
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| Built | 1754 |
| Architect | Richard Taliaferro |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | Williamsburg Historic District (ID66000925) |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000866 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | April 15, 1970 |
The Wythe House is a very old and important house located on the Palace Green in Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. It was built in the 1750s and was the home of George Wythe. He was a very important person who signed the Declaration of Independence. He is also known as the "father of American law" because he helped shape the legal system in the early United States. This special house was named a National Historic Landmark on April 15, 1970.
Contents
History of the Wythe House
The Wythe House was once owned by Richard Taliaferro, who was George Wythe's father-in-law. The house was built between 1752 and 1754. It was designed as a complete building from the start, with no parts added later. This happened at the same time the Governor's Palace was being updated.
George Wythe's Home
In 1755, Richard Taliaferro's daughter Elizabeth married George Wythe. The couple received the house as a wedding gift. When Richard Taliaferro passed away in 1779, George and Elizabeth were allowed to live in the house for the rest of their lives. Elizabeth lived there until she died in 1787. George Wythe then moved to Richmond, Virginia in 1791 to work as a judge.
A Headquarters for George Washington
The Wythe House played a role in the American Revolutionary War. General George Washington used the house as his headquarters. This was from September 14 to 17, and again from September 22 to 28, in 1781. This happened right before the important Siege of Yorktown.
The House Today
After George Wythe, the house had several different owners. In 1926, Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin used the second floor for his offices. His church, Bruton Parish Church, had bought the building. Dr. Goodwin is known as the "Father of Colonial Williamsburg."
In 1938, Colonial Williamsburg officially took over the property. By 1939, the inside of the house was restored. It was made to look just as it did when the Wythe family lived there.
Outside the Wythe House
The House's Look
The front of the house is made of red bricks with white wooden trim. It is perfectly balanced on both sides. The first floor has two windows on each side of the main door. The second floor has five windows that line up with the ones below.
The roof is sloped on all four sides, called a hip roof. Brick chimneys rise from the sides of the roof. The roof is supported by decorative blocks called modillions.
The bricks around the windows and doors are lighter in color. These are called "rubbed bricks." Masons would rub them together until they showed a rosy color. The house also has a slanted base called a beveled water table. The walls are built using a special pattern of bricks called Flemish bond. You reach the entrance by a small set of steps. The large front door has raised panels and a window above it.
The Property and Gardens
The property around the house has beautiful gardens that have been recreated to look like they did long ago. There are also several smaller buildings. These include a smokehouse, an outdoor kitchen, a laundry, a poultry house, and a stable. There is also a well and a dovecote (a small house for doves).
The gardens have brick paths and hedges. Many small shrubs are placed around the landscape. A simple white fence surrounds the property, with hedges lining the garden edges.
Inside the Wythe House
The house has a common layout for its time. It has a central hallway that goes through the middle. There are rooms on both sides of this hall. A staircase goes up on the left side of the hallway. From the hall, four doors lead to different rooms.
First Floor Rooms
The room on the left, before the staircase, is thought to be the parlor. This was a formal living room. In one corner, there is a built-in china cupboard called a bowfat.
Across from the parlor is the dining room, which looks very similar. It also has a fireplace and a bowfat on the inner wall. The lower part of the walls in this room is covered with wooden panels called wainscot. There is also decorative trim at the top of the walls, called crown molding.
Behind the dining room is a bedroom, with a door connecting the two rooms. A white chair rail divides the wall, and there is a black baseboard at the bottom. The floors are made of pine wood. This bedroom also has another door leading to the main hall at the back of the house.
The room behind the parlor is believed to be George Wythe's office. This room has a fireplace with a blue mantelpiece. The inside of the fireplace is plastered. The floors here are also made of pine.
Second Floor Rooms
The second floor has a similar layout to the first floor. A central hallway runs the entire length of the house. There are four bedrooms, one in each corner of the house. Each of these bedrooms has its own fireplace. The windows on the second floor are a little smaller than the ones downstairs. However, they have the same number of glass panels (18) and open up and down like the lower windows.
See also
- George Wythe
- Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
- List of Washington's Headquarters during the Revolutionary War
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Williamsburg, Virginia
