Colonial Williamsburg

by Philip Kopper, Langdon Clay (Photography)

Traces the history of the once preeminent city from its early days in a struggling new nation to the current restoration

Genres: Architecture

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 1986

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before our trip to Williamsburg, I placed this on our coffee table so the kids could look through it. They enjoyed perusing the many pictures, getting a nice taste for what was to come.

I haven’t actually read the book, so can’t speak to the text. The handful of excerpts I did read were fun knowing beforehand.

Get more book recs and see our visit to Colonial Williamsburg: Watch the reel!

Content Considerations: I did take a marker to a couple illustrations, drawing some clothes on people.

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[Jim Dooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG is a huge overview of the restored 18th century town that became the capital of the Virginia colony, and is today probably the most prominent and interactive historical center in the United States. I had visited there with my family about 20-years ago. While it was fun, I had lacked the background knowledge to truly appreciate what I was seeing.

Now, I want to go back.

The book has much to recommend it ... and some aspects that were of less interest to me. Of the latter, the details of construction and the accounting of famous items that have been collected (along with discussions on where to display them) became tedious after a while.

However, the book has considerable strengths:

* The lavish photographs are fascinating.

* The historical background, describing the “path” from Jamestown to Middle Plantation to Williamsburg to Richmond, was very rewarding. I wish I’d had that knowledge when I had visited!

* I loved the details of the journey to restoration, especially the “turf wars” that grew out of differences in opinion and the need to make changes when new information was verified.

The stories recounting the unusual things that occurred when bringing the project to life were also highlights. In fact, I wish there had been more of them! (I loved the tales of visitors entering into private residences and the confusion that followed.)

I’ve known a few people who return to Colonial Williamsburg every year. My accountant has even purchased a retirement home nearby so that he can visit as often as he desires. This isn’t “Westworld” where guests can do whatever they want in a completely immersive re-creation. But, it is a place that grows or shrinks based on the amount of fascination and curiosity that guests bring with them.

The Revised Edition of COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG that I read was published in 2001, the original having been published in 1986. As the text was finishing, there is mention of the foundation of a theater being discovered. That aspect alone will send me scurrying to the website to see if it has been restored. If so, my travel plans (post Pandemic) will likely move Colonial Williamsburg to near the top of my list.

The goal of the restoration and the book is to bring to life part of America’s past. Frankly, I found myself wondering how Colonial Williamsburg will fare with generations weaned on flashy theme parks and virtual reality experiences. It did inspire me, though. And it also gave me an even greater respect for modern archeologists from various disciplines.

[LuAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough, sweeping, evocative history of Williamsburg from prior to its founding in 1633 as Middle Plantation to 1986, replete with photos of the town and buildings, items and interiors, historic personages and crafts people, historic maps and drawings. Broken into three eras: rise, decline and resurrection, and present, I especially enjoyed the deep dive into the restoration and recreation and the contributions made to historic preservation and the many personalities who contributed to its life in each era. I didn’t find out until the end that the author and his family lived in a house in the historic area for a year while he wrote and researched the book; no wonder he so successfully captured the atmosphere of Colonial Williamsburg. That would be another interesting book!

[Tim Milligan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The style of the writing is awful. You almost have to see it to believe it. Pretentious and needlessly flowery. However, it does a fine job of walking through the history of Williamsburg the city and Colonial Williamsburg the institution, albeit the Official version of events.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book as a souvenir from Colonial Williamsburg when my husband and I visited. What I enjoyed most about this book were the pictures, and wished there were more. There was an interesting history on Williamsburg but I would have found it a better book if there was less of a history lesson and more of a pictorial review of this beautiful place. I also wished there was more on the pubs and small stores that line the main road.

[Glenn Robinson]

A very interesting book on the history of the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg, from the late 1880's to present.