WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Up at the Capitol - the old colonial Capitol - Thomas Jefferson was talking about property rights.
He was talking about his owning slaves - even though he penned the immortal phrase "all men are created equal" - and about a bill he wants the Virginia Legislature to adopt that would overturn laws passing all property down to the first son - even though he is a first son.
At least he looked like Thomas Jefferson, and this looked like the old Capitol. Actually, neither are the real item, but they're about as close as one can come in the late 20th century to the man and the place that existed in 1780 when Jefferson was Virginia's governor.
Actor-historian William D. Barker, who has portrayed Jefferson on stage, on screen and in such historic settings as the White House, Mount Vernon and Independence Hall, speaks at length, quoting from Jefferson's extensive writings, about issues of the time.
This day he was portraying Jefferson as Virginia's governor during the Articles of Confederation. Other times, he plays Jefferson in debates with Patrick Henry over religious freedom in the new state of Virginia. Even when he is talking with his audience of camera-wielding tourists in shorts and T-shirts he remains in character, speaking to us as if we just rode in from some strange far-off territory.
Barker as Jefferson is what Colonial Williamsburg is all about.
More than a museum
More than a museum or a few historic buildings, Colonial Williamsburg is a living re-creation of what life was like more than 200 years ago - just before and after the American Revolution - in one of the most important cities in North America.
Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia until it moved 50 miles west to Richmond in 1780. For the next century and a half if slumbered as a small college town and county seat. So, unlike other famous colonial and Revolutionary cities such as Philadelphia, Boston and New York, it remained little changed from the days when Jefferson, Henry and George Washington frequented its taverns, shops and homes.
In the 1920s, W.A.R. Goodwin, the pastor of historic Bruton Parish Church - one of the city's original buildings - inspired John D. Rockefeller Jr. to restore Williamsburg to the way it was in those Colonial days. It took decades, and the work is still going on.
Covering 173 acres, there are 88 original structures restored to their 18th century appearance. Another 50 buildings are reconstructions in the same place as the originals. Counting all the sheds, slave quarters, barns and workshops, the historic area houses more than 500 buildings as they would have looked around 1774.
The Capitol is a reconstruction of the historic 1704 Capitol that burned down in 1747, was rebuilt, and burned down again in 1832. Even though it's a reconstruction, it's hard to remind yourself that these aren't the actual seats occupied by Washington, Jefferson or Henry.
The people part
The buildings are an important , but it's the people who bring Colonial Williamsburg to life.
After touring the Capitol with Jefferson, we walked down historic Duke of Gloucester Street - which runs from the Capitol to the Wren building on the campus of the College of William and Mary - and stopped at the Colonial post office and printing shop for a chat with Martha Washington about her early days with the colonel. (George Washington had not received his general's commission in the time period Martha Washington was depicting).
It's not just the famous people who make Williamsburg so interesting. It's also the shopkeepers and craftsmen who continue the traditions of two centuries ago.
There are three types of people who work in Colonial Williamsburg: those such as William Barker who portray historic persons; interpreters who dress in Colonial garb and may be involved in some of the crafts or trades of the period but who relate their activities to the modern age, and guides in modern clothing who explain the history and lifestyle of the past.
We experienced all three types of people.
At John Greenhow's store we found Greenhow himself sitting in the back room talking with a fellow colonist about how the Stamp Act and the Boston Tea Party might affect the price of goods he shipped from England. We told him we were from Alexandria, Va., and he mentioned a historic tavern there that still exists today. Tell him you're from West Palm Beach and he's likely to look quizzical and change the subject.
The wig-maker and the saddle and harness maker treated us as if we were customers interested in buying their goods.
The Revolution and the activities of such notables as Washington, Jefferson and Henry have long been a Williamsburg staple. Recently two new themes have emerged: Colonial family life and the roles of the African and African-American slaves who have been virtually ignored in historical depictions of the era.
In the Brush-Everard House near the restored Governor's Palace, Harvey Bakari greeted us at the door. Bakari is a tall black man dressed in the full livery of a house slave. He's an interpreter who explains what life was like for slaves in the home of an 18th century urban gentleman.
There are about 22 of us, all white, on the special tour - you have to reserve a spot although there is no extra cost. At one point, Bakari asked two girls to stand with him. We were asked to imagine that Bakari and the two girls are the master and his two daughters and we are the roughly 20 slaves who lived here just before the Revolution.
As Bakari talked about what life was like for the slaves, we gained a better appreciation for what it must have been like for both the blacks and the whites. One thing that became clear to me was there must have been widespread cultural pollination between the races. How could you live that closely and not affect one another?
The tour at the Brush-Everard House is one of several tours and special events that explore the slave experience in Williamsburg.
Hands-on activities
Exploring family life is a big part of today's Colonial Williamsburg. What did the children do? What games did they play? Who made the food and how was it made?
During the summer, Williamsburg offers a variety of hands-on activities for children. These include making stitch books, playing with colonial toys such as hoops and puzzles, and working in the craft shops. Margaret helped assemble a barrel in one shop and a wagon wheel in another.
At the Geddy House, the young guides gave us a look at how a merchant-class family lived in colonial days and Margaret got a chance to try her hand - or rather feet - at walking on stilts.
And of course, what would a visit to Williamsburg be without a visit to the old gaol (jail) and a turn in the pillory. My wife, Janet, took a picture of our daughter, Margaret, and me with our head and arms locked in the structure.
There are basically three things to do in Colonial Williamsburg: tour the historic buildings, shops and houses; be entertained, and eat.
For our entertainment, we went dancing and to a show. Of course both were different from today.
The dancing was held in the Capitol at night. Men and women dressed in the colonial finery showed us the latest dances - including the wildly popular new dance of the Revolutionary period, the minuet - and then taught a handful of us volunteers.
Dining is a treat
For a show, we crowded into the old courthouse for a night of "science, conjuration and humbug." This involved some magic, a comedy-science routine and a shadow puppet show. In both instances, the entertainment was done without benefit of electric lights or microphones. The candlelight of the 18th century was what we experienced.
Other evening activities featured tours of the shops at night and a ghost tour of Williamsburg.
Dining in Williamsburg is a treat. During the day, the historic old taverns are open for business. The food is Colonial fare - heavy on chicken - and, of course all the servers are in Colonial garb. We ate lunch one day at the reconstructed Kings Arms Tavern across the street from the original Raleigh Tavern where delegates such as George Washington met and decided to boycott English goods after the royal governor disbanded the House of Burgesses.
Pub Date: 7/26/98