Colonial Williamsburg

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.