37°16′27.3″N76°42′7.6″W / 37.274250°N 76.702111°W /37.274250; -76.702111
| Governor's Palace | |
|---|---|
_September_2012.jpg) | |
 Interactive map of Governor's Palace | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | English Baroque (original) Colonial Revival (Reconstruction) |
| Location | Williamsburg, Virginia,United States of America |
| Construction started | 1706 (original) 1931 (reconstruction) |
| Destroyed | December 22, 1781 |
| Owner | Colonial Williamsburg |
Governor's Palace | |
| Location | Williamsburg, Virginia |
| Built | 1931-34[1] |
| Part of | Williamsburg Historic District (ID66000925[2]) |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
TheGovernor's Palace inWilliamsburg, Virginia, was theofficial residence of theroyal governors of theColony of Virginia. It was also a home for two of Virginia's post-colonial governors,Patrick Henry andThomas Jefferson, until the capital was moved toRichmond in 1780, and with it the governor's residence. The main house burned down in 1781, though the outbuildings survived for some time after.[1]
The Governor's Palace was reconstructed in the 1930s on its original site. It is one of the two largest buildings atColonial Williamsburg, the other beingthe Capitol.
Williamsburg was established as the new capital of the Virginia colony in 1699, and served in that capacity until 1780. During most of that period, the Governor's Palace was the official residence of the royal governor.
The palace was funded by theHouse of Burgesses in 1706 at the behest of Lt. GovernorEdward Nott.[3][4] It was built from 1706 onward. In 1710, its first official resident was Lt. GovernorAlexander Spotswood who served as acting governor; the governor proper,George Hamilton, 1st Earl of Orkney, was absentee and is not known to have visited Virginia. Spotswood continued to improve on it until ca. 1720–1722, adding the forecourt, gardens, and various decorations.[1][5]
Under Lt. Gov.Robert Dinwiddie, from 1751 to 52, it was repaired and renovated, including the addition of a large rear addition featuring aballroom.[1][5]
The exterior of the Governor's Palace inspired the design of the Sigma Nu Theta chapter fraternity house at the University of Alabama.[citation needed]
The seven governors who lived in the original palace included:
Home to a colonial mayor:
It was also home to the post-colonial governors:
Around 1779, Governor Thomas Jefferson proposed the remodeling of the Palace in manner in keeping withhis neoclassical ideals.[7] The proposal would have added a temple-like portico to the front and back.
However, in 1780, Jefferson urged that the capital of Virginia be relocated toRichmond for security reasons during theAmerican Revolution. The new lodging for the governor adjacent to the currentVirginia State Capitol building in Richmond is more modest in size and style, and is called theGovernor's Mansion.
On December 22, 1781, the main building was destroyed by a fire.[5] At the time, it was being used as a hospital for wounded American soldiers following the nearbySiege of Yorktown.[8] Some brick outbuildings survived the fire, but were demolished during theAmerican Civil War so they could be salvaged for building materials by occupying forces.[9]
In the 1880s, as theChesapeake and Ohio Railway was building thePeninsula Extension east toNewport News, due to difficulties in acquiring right of way along the preferred route, temporary tracks were laid along Main Street/Duke of Gloucester Street in Williamsburg, passing through the area of the former Palace.[10]
Through the efforts of Reverend Dr.W.A.R. Goodwin, rector ofBruton Parish Church andphilanthropistJohn D. Rockefeller Jr., whose family provided major funding, the elaborate and ornate palace was carefully recreated in the early 20th century.
The reconstruction was based on numerous surviving pieces of evidence. Archaeological excavations of the site revealed the original foundations and cellar, together with architectural remnants that had fallen in during the fire.[11] Jefferson's drawings and plans from his proposed renovation have survived, conveying the interior plan.[11] In 1929, while the project was already in planning, a copperplate engraving nicknamed theBodleian Plate was discovered in England'sBodleian Library. The plate included renderings c. 1740 of the exterior of the palace, along with the Capitol and theWren Building. Additional evidence included original artifacts andVirginia General Assembly records. The house, outbuildings, and gardens opened as an exhibition on April 23, 1934.
In early 1981, the Governor's Palace underwent significant interior renovation and refurnishing to reflect updated scholarship of the building and its furnishings.[12] The renovation reduced the influence of the Colonial Revival style in favor of historical evidence, including records found atBadminton House in the UK.
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