Colonial Williamsburg

Day three of our trip found us in Colonial Williamsburg. It is an 18th Century working town in Colonial Virginia. It was so fascinating to watch how they made shingles, house paint, and shaped silver in the 1700s. We walked through many of the shops and homes that existed in 1770s Williamsburg, including the governor's palace.

This was really the best part for both Andy and I. Andy was like a little boy in a candy shop. No expense was spared by the Brittish government when building this palace. The original structure was burned to the ground likely by arsen by Virginians after Patrick Henry and one other American governor of Virginia occupied the place. It was rebuilt and restored to the condition and design it was in 1775. The wood work was just amazing. As he walked by, he noticed details like the shape of the nails used and the type of joint. He spent much of his time admiring the wood work and one of the guides commented that he must be a builder because of how he noticed and carressed the wood.

This was a window treatment in Lady Dunmore's dressing room. She was the wife of the last Brittish governor in Virginia. As a carpenter's wife, I suppose that I have developed an eye for beautiful and very skilled craftmanship. I was amazed by the beauty of the palace, mostly done without painting the wood, which was a symbol of status then since paint was so expensive and difficult to make.

My favorite part was the kitchen. I was truly fascinated by the amazing meals they created with out any of the modern conveniences I have. They used only the freshest ingredients, grown in the gardens right behind the kitchens or hunted on the grounds. Cooking was a skill handed down through generations, learned from an early age. To this I would say I think I was born in the wrong century. And I think I would say the same for Andy and the wood working. He watched the shingle maker for a good 25 minutes.

You really get a feel for what life was like then walking through town, as the horse drawn carriage takes people down the brick paved street, as the ox cart walks through the center of town, as you watch the book binder at work. We did enjoy our walk through this piece of American history in a way no text book ever could demonstrate.