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Capitol (Williamsburg, Virginia)

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437: 452: 425: 54: 263: 71: 96: 254:. The first floor of the west building was for the General Court and the colony's secretary, the first floor of the east for the House of Burgesses and its clerk. As a result of the fires that had destroyed several prior Virginia capitals, Cary built the first Capitol without fireplaces. In 1723, chimneys were added for fireplaces to help keep the Capitol dry. On January 30, 1747, the building burned and only some walls and the foundation remained. 349: 103: 78: 406:, and its unique architecture compared to the second Capitol. Later architectural historians have since shown that parts of the reconstruction, chiefly its foundations, were embellished or conjectural and were based more on contemporary architectural ideas than actual historic evidence. However, the reconstructed Capitol is now itself valued as a 339:
in 1779, the old Capitol was used for a wide range of purposes, from a court to a school. The east wing was removed around 1800 because of its dangerous condition, leaving only the west wing standing for the next 30 years, until it was destroyed by fire in 1832, leaving no trace of the original
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urged that the Capitol be rebuilt, but many legislators preferred relocating the government to a city more accessible to trade and navigation. In the meantime, the burgesses met again at the nearby Wren Building. Finally, in November 1748, reconstruction of the Capitol was approved (by only two
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The Colonial Capitol was a two-story H-shaped structure, functionally two buildings connected by an arcade. Each wing served one of the two houses of the Virginia legislature, the
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The architects charged with restoration of Williamsburg chose to reconstruct the first capitol based on superior documentation of its design, including in the 1929-discovered
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began, when Governor Thomas Jefferson urged it that the capital be relocated to Richmond. The building was last used as a capitol on December 24, 1779, when the
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votes: 40 to 38). The burgesses met inside for the first time on November 1, 1753. James Skelton, owner of Elk Island, was contracted to build the Capitol.
1081: 1066: 845: 581: 204:. Two capitol buildings served the colony on the same site: the first from 1705 until its destruction by fire in 1747; the second from 1753 to 1780. 239:(the legislature's temporary home). Begun in 1701, the Capitol was completed in 1705, although the legislature moved in during 1704. In 1714, the 1121: 1076: 706: 95: 811: 388: 240: 451: 70: 1006: 318: 372:(c. 1711) where he was rector. His dreams of restoring other buildings of the old colonial capital city led to his affiliation with 1116: 1028: 765: 228:, burned. Following the fire, the government of Virginia decided to relocate inland, away from the swamps at the Jamestown site. 860: 801: 628: 317:
and wrote the state's first constitution, thereby creating an independent government four days before Congress voted for the
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1845 engraving based on then-surviving drawings of the second capitol at Williamsburg (viewed from Duke of Gloucester Street)
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Special Collections, John D Rockefeller Jr. Library, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
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Creating Colonial Williamsburg: The Restoration of Virginia's Eighteenth-Century Capital
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The earlier capitol was reconstructed in the early 1930s as part of the restoration of
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is the third Capitol on that site. Early in the 20th century, the Reverend Dr.
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National Register of Historic Places in Williamsburg, Virginia
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The reconstruction opened to the public on February 24, 1934.
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On June 29, 1776, Virginians declared their independence from
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adjourned to reconvene in 1780 at the new capital, Richmond.
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structure, except for the outline of its foundations.
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Historic district contributing properties in Virginia
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was constructed between the College and the Capitol.
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from 1705, when the capital was relocated there from
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Reconstruction of the first Capitol at Williamsburg
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Oxford University Press. pp. 363–364. 335:After the capital of Virginia was moved to 1082:Former state capitols in the United States 1067:Brick buildings and structures in Virginia 707: 693: 214: 52: 714: 618: 607:Colonial Williamsburg: The Official Guide 410:interpretation and work of architecture. 1029:National Trust for Historic Preservation 766:Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum 347: 261: 37:U.S. National Historic Landmark District 648:Colonial Williamsburg, Capitol web page 579: 522:Official Guide to Colonial Williamsburg 258:Second Williamsburg Capitol (1753–1779) 1122:Government buildings completed in 1934 1077:Government buildings completed in 1705 1054: 555: 517: 490:"National Register Information System" 220:First Williamsburg Capitol (1705–1747) 802:DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum 688: 1040:Williamsburg: The Story of a Patriot 495:National Register of Historic Places 457:The reconstructed building at night. 482: 13: 368:undertook restoration of historic 14: 1133: 641: 343: 224:In 1698, the Capitol building in 450: 435: 423: 387:. The reconstructed Capitol and 360:The building that stands now in 101: 94: 76: 69: 1117:1934 establishments in Virginia 612: 599: 573: 564: 308:Virginia Declaration of Rights 152:Williamsburg Historic District 1: 1002:College of William & Mary 735:Colonial Williamsburg History 475: 442:Reconstructed chamber of the 397:College of William & Mary 110:Show map of the United States 556:Wilson, Richard Guy (2002). 133:1934, based on 1705 original 18:United States historic place 7: 992:Carter's Grove Country Road 462: 321:in Philadelphia on July 4. 319:Declaration of Independence 10: 1138: 619:Greenspan, Anders (2009). 416: 326:American Revolutionary War 180:housed both Houses of the 997:Carter's Grove Plantation 979: 943: 892: 758: 722: 330:Virginia General Assembly 182:Virginia General Assembly 162: 147: 137: 129: 119: 63: 51: 47: 34: 27: 23: 915:Abby Aldrich Rockefeller 869:Williamsburg Bray School 518:Olmert, Michael (1985). 286:on May 29, 1765. Henry, 138:Architectural style 920:John D. Rockefeller Jr. 856:St. George Tucker House 430:Reconstruction exterior 381:John D. Rockefeller Jr. 215:History of Williamsburg 825:Ludwell–Paradise House 730:Battle of Williamsburg 671:37.271258°N 76.69329°W 580:Goodwin, Mary (1934). 469:Virginia State Capitol 357: 267: 178:Williamsburg, Virginia 124:Williamsburg, Virginia 1087:Colonial Williamsburg 1062:Landmarks in Virginia 841:Peyton Randolph House 830:Matthew Whaley School 770:Alexander Craig House 716:Colonial Williamsburg 586:Colonial Williamsburg 500:National Park Service 385:Colonial Williamsburg 362:Colonial Williamsburg 351: 265: 209:Colonial Williamsburg 41:Contributing Property 784:Bruton Parish Church 750:Rich Neck Plantation 676:37.271258; -76.69329 383:and the creation of 370:Bruton Parish Church 352:Print made with the 85:Show map of Virginia 865:Wetherburn's Tavern 779:Brush-Everard House 667: /  226:Jamestown, Virginia 1019:Grand Illumination 925:Richard Taliaferro 817:James Semple House 444:House of Burgesses 358: 278:In this building, 268: 252:House of Burgesses 194:Colony of Virginia 190:House of Burgesses 1049: 1048: 846:President's House 812:Governor's Palace 745:Middle Plantation 740:Historic Triangle 630:978-0-8078-3343-8 605:Taylor Stoermer, 389:Governor's Palace 300:Richard Henry Lee 288:George Washington 241:Governor's Palace 188:of State and the 170: 169: 1129: 1024:Merchants Square 1014:Colonial Parkway 900:W. A. R. Goodwin 874:Williamsburg Inn 821:John Crump House 709: 702: 695: 686: 685: 682: 681: 679: 678: 677: 672: 668: 665: 664: 663: 660: 635: 634: 616: 610: 603: 597: 596: 594: 592: 577: 571: 568: 562: 561: 553: 542: 541: 525: 515: 504: 503: 486: 454: 439: 427: 408:Colonial Revival 366:W. A. R. Goodwin 304:Thomas Jefferson 166:October 15, 1966 142:Colonial Revival 111: 105: 104: 98: 86: 80: 79: 73: 56: 21: 20: 1137: 1136: 1132: 1131: 1130: 1128: 1127: 1126: 1052: 1051: 1050: 1045: 975: 939: 910:Peyton Randolph 888: 754: 718: 713: 675: 673: 669: 666: 661: 658: 656: 654: 653: 644: 639: 638: 631: 617: 613: 604: 600: 590: 588: 578: 574: 569: 565: 554: 545: 538: 516: 507: 502:. 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Retrieved 585: 575: 566: 557: 521: 493: 484: 412: 401: 374:Standard Oil 359: 334: 323: 312: 296:George Wythe 292:George Mason 277: 269: 245: 230: 223: 206: 173: 171: 15: 884:Wythe House 807:Geddy House 674: / 1056:Categories 797:Courthouse 759:Structures 662:76°41′36″W 659:37°16′17″N 476:References 471:(Richmond) 233:Henry Cary 156:ID66000925 961:Jamestown 944:Geography 391:join the 376:heir and 284:Stamp Act 270:Governor 198:Jamestown 971:Virginia 966:Yorktown 463:See also 337:Richmond 250:and the 202:Richmond 120:Location 789:Capitol 723:History 417:Gallery 395:of the 248:Council 192:of the 186:Council 174:Capitol 148:Part of 29:Capitol 1007:campus 893:People 627:  534:  184:, the 980:Other 528:52–61 130:Built 625:ISBN 593:2023 532:ISBN 172:The 176:at 1058:: 584:. 546:^ 530:. 508:^ 498:. 492:. 302:, 298:, 294:, 290:, 708:e 701:t 694:v 633:. 595:. 540:. 158:) 154:(

Index

U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property

Capitol (Williamsburg, Virginia) is located in Virginia
Capitol (Williamsburg, Virginia) is located in the United States
Williamsburg, Virginia
Colonial Revival
Williamsburg Historic District
ID66000925
Williamsburg, Virginia
Virginia General Assembly
Council
House of Burgesses
Colony of Virginia
Jamestown
Richmond
Colonial Williamsburg
Jamestown, Virginia
Henry Cary
Wren Building
Governor's Palace
Council
House of Burgesses

William Gooch
Patrick Henry
Stamp Act
George Washington
George Mason
George Wythe

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