The Capitol of the Colony of Virginia

Since I wrote about the Governor's Palace in a previous blog, I decided that I should write about the other historic buildings you will see at Colonial Williamsburg as well. And which building should I talk about next? Well, since the Capitol has a very interesting history and... well, it was the Capitol of Virginia at one time, it really was a no brainer that I should talk about the Capitol next.

The Capitol

When the Jamestowne statehouse was burned down 3 times, it was decided by the burgesses that the government should move to Williamsburg.  On May 18, 1699, they decided to build the first American building that would be called the Capitol.

The Capitol was constructed by Henry Cary, who built the Capitol into an "H-shaped" building. The construction of the building was not completed until November of 1705.



 The first floor on the west side was for the General Court and the colony's secretary, and on the east side: the House of Burgesses and its clerk.  There was a set of stairs on both sides. One staircase led to 3 committee rooms, and the other led to the Council Chamber, a lobby, and the clerk's office. A conference room on the second floor connected both of these sides together.



One of the conference rooms on the Second Floor



One of the rooms on the First Floor



Sadly, the Capitol is not one of the many original buildings at Colonial Williamsburg. (Yes, I know. I must be disappointing you. I've talked about 2 buildings already and both of them aren't the original structure! Do not worry; there are many original buildings at Colonial Williamsburg... 88 to be exact!) The Capitol was burned down. They actually were trying to prevent a fire from happening by not installing any fireplaces when the Capitol was built. But in 1723, after complaints that the building was too damp, chimneys were built to keep the building dry. Then on January 30, 1747 the Capitol caught on fire, and the only thing that remained were some walls and the foundation.

There was some debate on whether or not the Capitol should be rebuilt at the same place. Some wanted the Capitol to be moved somewhere where it could be easily accessible to trade and navigation. Since there was no "official" capitol, the burgesses met at the Wren Building. But after a vote on November 23, 1748, the reconstruction of the Capitol at Williamsburg was passed. The Capitol was rebuilt by John Blair, and the burgesses had their first meeting in the new capitol on November 1, 1753.

Huzzah! The Capitol was rebuilt! Well, I don't want to disappoint you but, even that Capitol is not the one that stands in Colonial Williamsburg today. The last time the Capitol was used as a Capitol was on December 24, 1779 where it was decided to move the Capitol to Richmond, Virginia. It was not a vacant building though.  The former Capitol was used as a military hospital, a grammar school, an admiralty court, a law school, and a female academy. But then in 1793 the west wing's bricks were sold and demolished, and the east wing burned in 1832. The last remnents of the Capitol were finally removed in 1881. The Capitol was no more. :(

But every story deserves to have a happy ending. The Capitol was reconstructed by Colonial Williamsburg. They rebuilt it to what it looked like when the Capitol was first built back in 1705 (the "H-shaped" building.) That is the building you will see when you go to Colonial Williamsburg.

View of DoG Street from the Capitol balcony

Many interesting things happened in the Capitol during the 18th century. Historical figures such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, and George Mason met at the Capitol to discuss matters during the time when we were fighting for our freedom. Debates such as Mason's Declaration of Rights, the Virginia Constitution occurred as well as Patrick Henry's speech against the Stamp Act. Even Thomas Jefferson's attempt at a bill for religious freedom occured at the Capitol.

One of the many events that takes place at the Capitol during
Revolutionary Ciry is Lord Dunmore's
speech on the Capitol's balcony

The Capitol was also used for social events like dances and dinners.

The Capitol that stands at Colonial Williamsburg today may not be the original building where many historical figures met, but the Capitol today is a replica of what it once was. It still takes my breath away when I am in the Capitol that I am standing in a place very much like George Washington, Patrick Henry, etc. stood discussing important matters. The tour of the Capitol should be one of the top things you plan to do at Colonial Williamsburg. Hopefully your breath will be taken away just like mine was when I visited the Capitol.