Williamsburg Restored

The film opens in May 1774, as the family of a tobacco planter comes to Williamsburg, the capital of the colony of Virginia, to participate in "Publick Times," a season of festivities encompassing political and social events. On the way to town, the family's carriage passes the College of William and Mary, founded in 1673, making it the second oldest college in the colonies. They also pass the Bruton Parish Church, which predates the founding of Williamsburg. At the governor's palace, Gov. Dunsmore, unaware that he will be the last British governor of the Colony of Virginia, boards his carriage to travel to the Capitol building where he will open the Assembly. As the townsfolk gather at an auction, an express rider arrives and announces that the British have closed the port of Boston in retaliation for the Boston Tea Party. This ignites a debate among the citizenry about the issue of taxation without representation. Later, at the Capitol, the townsfolk congregate to hear Robert Carter Nicholas, Treasurer of the Colony, express support for the Colony of Massachusetts in its struggle against the British. On May 1776, Virginia moves to declare its independence from Britain. In 1780, the capital of the state of Virginia is moved to Richmond, initiating the decline of Williamsburg. By the 1920s, Williamsburg has become a modern city but its historical buildings have fallen into disrepair. The Rev. W. A. R. Goodwin, the rector of Bruton Parish Church, tries to arouse interest in restoring the city and shows old photographs to millionaire John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who agrees to fund a non-profit educational organization dedicated to restoring the entire central portion of the eighteenth century town. In 1928, the restoration begins as architects take meticulous measurements of existing colonial buildings and start to research historical records. For cases in which land records are insufficient, inquires are sent to libraries throughout the United States and Europe. An ancient copper plate engraving at the Bodleian Library of Oxford University aids in the restoration of the governor's palace. The painstaking effort to recreate historical authenticity extends to the use of archeological excavation, which uncovers foundations of old, forgotten buildings. Old insurance policies often contain detailed house plans that help in the restoration. The governor's palace was burned to the ground, and hence the only clues to the appearance of the ornate building are found in photographs. To assure authenticity, an inventory drawn up at the time of the last British governor's death is consulted, after which authorities on the decorative arts help to find replicas of the palace's furnishings. The restoration takes twenty years to finish, and once completed, visitors flock to Williamsburg to experience Colonial life in the eighteenth century.