William and Mary College
by deecat
Allan and I loved seeing the Wren Building of the William and Mary College. It's the oldest academic structure still in use in the nation. The building was begun in 1695 and is considered the "signature" building of the second oldest college in the USA (next to Harvard). Great people studied here: James Monroe, John Marshall, Thomas Jefferson, and John Tyler!.
Sadly, it was destroyed by fire three tiems. The Wren Building was the first major building restored by John D. Rockefeller, Jr..
It's proper name is the College Building. The first building's design was a "fire trap". They used the original foundations when it was rebuilt. The basement was raised, more steps were added, and was two and one-half stories high..
This building also burned, gutting the building!
When the restorations began in 1930, steel beams were added. It was the first major Williamsburg structure to be restored by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Today, students of the College of william and Mary still attend classes in the WRen Building; it's chapel is the site of many weddings. The first floor of the wRen Building is maintained as a Colonial Williamsburg exhibition, so be sure to see it! But, what we loved most about the College of William and Mary was the theatre department which was doing the play Chicago while we were there.
We purchased tickets and saw this delightful play way before it was the smash success on broadway and at the movies.
Smile of Williamsburg
by matcrazy1
We met this smiling face, on my picture, somewhere close to the Governor's Palace. Most of the folks, employers of the colonial Williamsburg were smiling to their visitors. Nothing special and unique in the USA but very nice.
Generally I found the USA a very smiling country. Keep smiling is the main and pretty rule in the USA. When you see people smiling all over the place, like I saw in Williamsburg, it is usually for one of two reasons.
One, because they are happy people.
Two, because the business they work for INSIST that they smile at customers.
Of course, after one gets used to smiling everytime they see someone, it becomes a habit, a very pretty habit.
Keep smiling :-)
Different and always single houses
by matcrazy1
Colonial houses are put along both sides of main streets in a raw, especially along Duke of Gloucester Street. But, in contrast to many European cities of 18th century, they are never joined. Each house stay as a single unit with own backyard and usually look different than the next one. Houses are always seperated from the neighbouring ones by at least narrow alleyway.
Well, new lands of America offered a lot of space for settlers. Early settlers to America were individualists who wanted to put up different houses than their neighbours. Later on, during my southern trip, I found it a typical feauture of residential and often even business districts of old colonial cities and towns.
The strangest state flag
by matcrazy1
This colorful flag on the left, on my picture, looks the most unique of all 13 flags of the 13 original colonies put in front of the Colonial Williamsburg's Visitor Center.
I got to know that it's the state flag of Maryland (adopted in 1904) and the only US state flag based on British heraldry (the coats of arms of noble families).
Atmosphere of old times office
by matcrazy1 about Post Office
Relatively small building in beautiful downtown Colonial Williamsburg housed Post Office and Printing Office which sold paper products in 18th century. Keep in mind that that eighteenth-century paper was made from rags. Paper from wood pulp didn’t come into common use until the 1840s.
Now, there is a gift store on the ground floor and the Printing Office below. The store's interior is full of items and papers from 18th century office. They sell stamps, letters and postcards hand-canceled with reproduction 18th century Williamsburg postmark, stationery, maps, reproductions prints, leather-bound books, quill pens, ink, inkwells and sealing wax. So, if you want to add a good, old-fashioned atmosphere to your current office...
I found most interesting some reproduction printings from 18th century Williamsburg press and a book (reprint from 1736) Every Man his own Doctor (on curing diseases). Rather expensive store but for small things you pay less, for example: $2.00 for white quill pen, $2.50 for 5 cedar pencils, $1.25 for small reprint on... battledore.
carriage rides
Son in stocks
The armory
James Craig, Jeweller
