Colonial Williamsburg

The Wren building is part of the College of William and Mary, and is the oldest academic building still in use. It was constructed in August 8, 1695 and was finished around 1700. Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler, and John Marshall studied in the this building. George Washington was a chancellor of the college at one point, too. It has also been through three fires, like other buildings in Williamsburg. The Wren building ended up being the first major building restored in the 1920s.

Upholsters’ hammers were used for securing upholstery fabric to furniture using tacks or small nails. These hammers had long heads and claws used for hammering and pulling tacks in small places. One part of the hammer was magnetized to help with placing tacks. A common way to hammer in tacks fast is when an Upholsterer will hold tacks in their mouth and spit them onto the magnetized part of the hammer. Then the tacks are driven into the furniture.

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, Shadwell, VA. He first came to Williamsburg in 1760 as a student at the College of William and Mary. As time went on he became a governor of Virginia, President of the United States, and he was a Founding Father. He had two inaugural addresses, and multiple articles he wrote. The most famous thing he wrote was the Declaration of Independence. After all of these achievements, he died in July 4, 1826 in Monticello, Virginia.

In the silversmith trade, they would craft objects from silver. In the 18th century, being a silversmith required good talent and taste. To begin making a silver item, like a coffee pot, workers would need to heat silver until it was liquid. Then they would pour it into a cast to mold it into the shape they want. Next, they would use a large hammer to hot-forge the silver into a thick sheet. This sheet would be cut into a circle and using multiple tools, it would be hammered and stretched into shape.

Newspapers were an important way to spread and learn information in the colonies. Although, some of the first newspapers learned that criticizing politicians would catch the eye of readers. By the mid-1760s things like this became common in the articles. Then politicians started to confront newspaper publishers away things types of things. In the end, there were 24 weekly newspapers in the colonies.

Lafayette was born on September 6, 1757, in France. He was part of a wealthy noble family, and his father was killed by the British in the Battle of Minden. Later on, Lafayette joined Freemasons at age 17 and joined the American Revolution at age 19. He became close with Washington and soon enough they regarded each other as family. His skills and allies helped the colonies win at the Battle of Yorktown.

King George III was born June 4, 1738 and died on January 29, 1820. He was king of Great Britain and Ireland from October 25, 1760 to his death. His reign was longer than any other leader’s before him, and his was involved in many military conflicts. With one of theses conflicts being with the colonies, he ended up at war with us for independence. Many problems came up between Great Britain and the colonies, and Williamsburg was a important place for things to take place in this time.

Patrick Henry was born May 29, 1736 in Hanover County, Virginia. Patrick would protest British tyranny many times in his life. He was also an important figure in the colonies, especially since he was a symbol of the struggle for liberty. Patrick served in the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress. He was also a five-term governor of Virginia. And in August 26, 1775 he was commissioned as colonel of the First Virginia regiment. Not only that, but he delivered the “Give me liberty or give med death!” speech. Although, after all of this he died on June 6, 1799 at Red Hill Plantation, Virginia.

Yarrow was another common herb to use for common problems. This herb also aided in childbirth. Yarrow  can relieve fevers, shorten the duration of the cold and flu, help improve relaxation during illnesses, and relieve cramps. If it is applied to your skin it is helpful with itching, rashes, etc.

The palace was starting to be built in 1706, and was finished in 1722. It all started when governor Edward Nott persuaded the General Assembly to approve the construction on October 23, 1705. After the palace was built, it held many balls in spirit of special events. The Governor’s Palace was home to many important people, too. Seven royal governors, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson all lived in the house at one point. Although, the building was destroyed in a fire in December, 1781.

This was the capitol in Williamsburg, it was built by Henry Cary. It burnt down three times before, too. This place was extremely important, it held ceremonies and meetings there. Once a year they would hold a naturalization ceremony at the capitol.

Barbara “Barbry” Hoy was the wife of Alexander Hoy. She gave birth to two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Barbry and her family went into debt by the late 1760s, and her husband joined the army in the 1770s to help with the debt. She struggled financially, and soon enough needed government assistance. Once the family was reunited in 1780, she widowed around 1782.

This was we would call a pharmacist in modern times. Although, they did much more than that and practiced as doctors. They would provide medical treatment, prescribe medicine, train apprentices, perform surgery, and serve as man-midwives. Some would even sell cooking spices, candles, salad oil, anchovies, toothbrushes, and tobacco.

Valerian was an herb that was used to treat common ailments in colonial times. It was also used to aid in childbirth and it induced sleep. Valerian was most popular for treating insomnia. Although, there is not adequate evidence to support this, so there was some concern that it may be harmful.

The Raleigh Tavern was built in 1717 and was named after Sir Walter Raleigh. It held many meetings, for example, when the burgesses met in the Apollo Room in 1773. In 1776, Phi Beta Kappa was founded here, too. Although, the building was destroyed in a fire in 1859. After some time, version of it was rebuilt in 1932.

Quinine was found in 1737 by Charles Marie de La Condamine, and it is effective in treating malaria. It was the first effective treatment for malaria caused and appeared in therapeutics in the 17th century. To use quinine, you need the bark of a cinchona tree. Then it needs to be dried and ground into a fine powder, and mixed into a drink.

In colonial times, onions were edible and had medical uses. The were one of the three main vegetables in European cooking. Their medical uses were to relieve headaches, snakebites, and hair loss. Surprisingly, they were sometimes used as payments.

This house was a two-story, brick townhouse. It was built by a wealthy planter-politician named Philip Ludwell III. The house was from about 1755, and remained in the family after Mr. Ludwell passed away. Also, when the publishers lived in the building, the Virginia Gazette was printed there.

The James-Geddy house was built in 1762, two years after the property was bought. James Geddy Jr. built the house on the palace green across from Bruton Parish Church. The original two-story house is still standing today. It was used for foundry, gunsmith, and silversmith businesses.

Infirmaries in the 1700s were newer concepts and were also known as voluntary hospitals. This infirmaries consisted of trained physicians and surgeons. At the time, nurses were untrained workers of the infirmary. The goals of these places was to use the most recent methods and cures to help patients. Colonial America picked up on these in around 1752, and then they started to spread more.

Hyssop was a popular herb that blooms in pink, white, or blue. The colonists used hyssop tea mixed with honey as an expectorant. It was thought to fight infection and to kill head lice when soaked in oil, too.

In the 18th century, food was extremely important in social lives. Dining was a common way to spread and learn information in this time. In upper-class house-holds people could dine for up to two hours, and to flaunt their social standings they would serve  variety of foods. The middle-class had less of a variety with some of the same foods as the  upper-class. Finally, the lower class was restricted to one-pot meals. Since they were not able to get huge variety of food, they stuck to simple things like hominy.

This was built in 1718 by the first keeper of Williamsburg's Magazine, John Brush. The house was five-bay, timber framed, and a story-and-a-half. It was built out of hand-split weatherboard stands, too. Later on, this was home to Henry Cary, the builder of the Govenor’s Palace. The Everard house is located next to the Govenor’s Palace, which was built by Henry after he moved in.

Duke of Gloucester Street was a narrow Indian trace which turned into a major street in the 17th century. When Virginia's General Assembly created Williamsburg in 1699, it said that this street would “in honor of his Highness William Duke of Gloucester shall for ever hereafter be called and known by the Name of Duke of Gloucester Street.” When it was becoming an official street on April 27, 1704, Francis Nicholson asked the House of Burgesses to buy four old homes and an oven. These were in the way of the street’s path and were destroyed after they were bought. On May 5, the burgesses ordered Henry Cary and a crew to take down the buildings.