WILLIAMSBURG EVENING STROLL
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2007
We headed down Richmond Road toward the old part of the town with William and Mary
across the street the whole way. We passed a large church made of the salmon-colored
bricks one thinks of in association with Williamsburg and its wall made with the rounded
top like Bruton Parrish has. I do love the color of the bricks !
I got very interested in the trees, both big and small, that I found all through the town.
This was a small memorial garden off to the side, very private and colorful.
After you pass the Market Square shopping area that fills the block between William and
Mary and the historic section, the first thing you come to on the north side of the Duke of
Gloucester Street is the John Blair house and kitchen. I especially liked the arching vines
over the small outbuilding behind the garden.
Immediately past the Blair house is this long, narrow pasture. The horses are by the white
fence in the distance. I was quite taken by how much open land is there in the very heart
of the historic area.
Looking back at the Blair kitchen with its huge chimney.
Looking through the corner of the pasture from the side of the Blair house across the Duke
of Gloucester Street, which is the principal street of the town. President F D Roosevelt
called said it "rightly can be called the most historic avenue in all America." Starting as a
narrow Indian trace, it grew to a horse path that followed the crest of the ridge that makes
the York and James River watersheds. It went through ravines filled with swamp and for
a while even had four old houses blocking its path, but in 1704 those were taken down.
When it was decided to make this the "great street" that would run from the College of
William and Mary to the Capitol, they decreed that it would be 99 feet wide. Today it is
flat, but originally it had huge dips and valleys until they were dealt with in 1720. Off to the
side here and there, you can still find traces of the deep gullies. After the seat of government
was moved to Richmond in 1780, the street fell into a long period of neglect. For a while
in 1881 there was even a railroad track down its middle. After World War I it was an ugly
place, concreted with a divider down the middle, having become US 60, and lined with utility
poles, concrete sidewalks, parked cars, gas stations and dry cleaning shops. When the
restoration began, the highway was rerouted, the utility wires were put underground and cars
are not allowed. Now when you walk down it, you step very satisfactorily back into the 18th
century with great ease. The look of it, the feeling of it are there again. And it even has
road apples that you must be alert for when crossing it!
The front fence of the pasture. Even the trash barrels here are appropriate!
The Bowden-Armistead house immediately west of Bruton Parish church.
The wall of Bruton Parish church with a corner of the church in the distance.
Alas, the bell tower of the church was encased in scaffolding and so does not grace any of
my pictures. But the bell is the original bell that Washington and Jefferson heard ring and the
sound of it comes to you, bringing all its past moments with it on the breeze. You stop what
you are doing and just...listen. You must because it is the same sound they heard and it
connects you to them. I've had my picture taken behind that brown sign you see just before
the steps three times, always with my hands resting atop the finials on either side. Once at
around 11, again at 28 when I was quite pregnant with my daughter, and now at 64.
This church is the third structure, the first having been built of wood. A brick building was
built close by in 1681. This church you see now was completed in 1715 and the second
demolished. It's named for Bruton, Somersetshire in England, where Berkeley, who was
then Governor, was from. It was closed when we walked by Thursday evening, so the
inside pictures come in a later album.
The church is not owned by Williamsburg but is still a functioning Episcopal church,
serving a 3-centuries-old parish.
If you turn the left corner at the church and head toward the Palace, you come to this brick
home, which is something I was eager to see not just for historical but for literary reasons.
My favorite novel set in Colonial Williamsburg is called "Dawn's Early Light" by Elswyth
Thane. The protagonist is a young man named Julian Day, freshly out from England shortly
before the war begins. Julian, a teacher, lives above a school for children at William and
Mary and he walks down the Duke of Gloucester St., turns this very corner and goes and
knocks shyly on the door of this house...the George Wythe (pronounced With) house. I've
read this book many times and wanted to see if I could find some sense of Julian here. I
did! I could so easily picture him walking where I was walking and going up those four
stone steps to the double black doors.
I peered over the Wythe pickets into the back yard. The next afternoon I would spend some
time there all by myself and the day after that go on a tour.
This is the original house, which goes a long way in helping visualize young Julian there! It was
designed in the mid-1750's of Flemish bond brickwork. To me it looks like it needs some sort
of portico or something over the doors to break the plain lines of the front. It has four rooms
on each of two full floors with a central stair passage and hall. George Wythe was one of the
truly great men of Colonial Williamsburg and highly respected by his contemporaries. He was
Thomas Jefferson's teacher and Thomas called him "my faithful and beloved Mentor in youth,
and my most affectionate friend through life." He was the nation's first college law professor,
Virginia's foremost classical scholar, the attorney general of the colony, mayor of Williamsburg,
a member of the House of Burgesses, a delegate to the Continental Congress, chancellor of
Virginia, a framer of the federal Constitution, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, just
to mention some of what he did.
Elkanah Deane House across Prince George St. from the side of the Wythe house.
Stepping out onto the Palace Green directly in front of the Wythe house and looking down
toward the Palace.
The front of the Governor's Palace with nary a soul in sight!!
Looking back at the Wythe house from the Green.
Looking from the Green down Nicholson Street.
Looking back across the Green toward the Wythe house I noticed, to my delight, a sundog
in the sky (directly over the pointed tree in center of picture). I've only seen a very few sundogs
in my life and they've always come at very special moments. So seeing this one was a real
pleasure for me...and most unexpected. They look like doorways to heaven and are only
made when the sun is just right to glisten off high particles of ice.
A closer view of the sundog. It looked much brighter in person than in the picture.
Another shot of it.
An open carriage coming down the eastern side of the Palace Green.
...turning onto Nicholson Street.
We walked up the eastern side of the Green back toward the Duke of Gloucester St., stopping
to admire the herb and vegetable gardens on that side.
All the gardens are very neat and well-ordered. I love the lines of picket fences in all the
backyards.
Turning east on the Duke of Gloucester again...that's my shadow on the right, Carl's on the left.
Directly across from the Magazine.
Looking across Market Square toward the Peyton Randolph house with my back to the
Duke of Gloucester St. This open square is situated midway between the College and the
Capitol, centrally located as its function was central to the town. Here the militiamen
practiced their manual of arms, marched, trained in loading and firing their muskets. It
was here the fairs, celebrations, auctions, horse races, dancing, and markets were held.
Crape myrtles in all shades of pinks and white were in full bloom everywhere and I liked
the way this small pink one looked against the grey siding across D.O.G. Street.
(The locals actually do call it Dog St.)
The magazine on the south section of Market Square. More on this in another album.
We sat on a bench on the corner of DOG St. and the eastern side of the Palace Green and
this was my view from where I sat. I think the wide, sandy sides to the street really add to
the correct feel of the place.
Looking back the other way from my bench, I discovered the sundog was still there, though
the sky was darker.
When the flag is there in front of a building, it means the building is open for visitors.
The Red Lion with a great tree.
Closer-up with the Red Lion and a limb of the tree.
Duke of Gloucester again, through a low-hanging branch. Trees were just amazing and
with wonderful shapes. More of those coming.
A side garden. I opened the gates just enough to see through but keep them in the shot.
This field on the north side of DOG was filled with robins hopping hither and thither.
Brick paths, white pickets, boxwoods, white outbuildings....Williamsburg.
This was looking down over a wall on the north side of DOG to one of those big dips that
used to make the street so hilly.
Doesn't show all that well, but deep green moss was all over this roof.
A bit blurry, alas, but another of the big dips that they had to deal with to flatten DOG.
Looking over the brick wall straight down into the dip.
Wetherburn's Tavern on the south side of DOG.
Getting toward the eastern end of DOG.
Just a bit west of the Raleigh Tavern. Everything was so well-kept, so very...tended.
My first view of the Raleigh Tavern itself. It and the Wythe House were the two main spots
on my agenda! Namesake, of course, of Sir Walter, it was established in 1717. I often think
of it as the "womb" of the Revolution. Inside pictures will be in another album. We only did
outsides on this first long stroll. Hadn't bought our passes yet anyway!
The sign in the late afternoon.
I went around and took a close-up from the other side so you could see the painting better.
Looking east up DOG past the Raleigh Tavern. Two days later I sat on one of these benches
waiting our turn to go inside.
There was an unlocked picket gate just to the right of the Raleigh and I slipped in by myself.
I hadn't really realized what a complex there is behind that very famous front that faces the
street! This is the well in one of the courtyards.
This is the Raleigh's garden immediately to its east.
Another part of its back courtyard sections.
Looking to the back yard of the Raleigh. Two days later Carl and I had fresh gingerbread
and cider from its bakery. We sat at that picnic table you see in the distance.
A separate section of the Raleigh's backyard, to the west of the area where we picnicked.
Crape myrtles and dormers on the back section of the Raleigh.
Looking back out to DOG from the east side of the Raleigh. That's Carl's foot there. When
I disappeared, he patiently sat on the bench, figuring I'd show up sooner or later, camera in
hand.
From the front sidewalk, looking back into the Raleigh's gardens.
Also a bit blurry, but the gardens just beside those.
First view of the Colonial Capitol itself at the end of DOG Street. Again, I just continued
to be so taken by the warm, soft colors of the bricks.
I turned and looked back up the Duke of Gloucester, standing in its center as the light of the
day began to fade. From here, it's a mile to William and Mary. It was very, very quiet and
peaceful here Thursday evening.
At the edge of the Capitol grounds are these two fascinating trees leaning toward one another.
Evening light on the top of the capitol, framed by one of many giant oaks.
They were getting ready for a witch trial and had these bowls of flame about, so I was
trying to get them in my shots. Somehow here, the two windows look like startled
eyes to me.
The building is basically an "H" with a connecting passage. The flame is on the
House of Burgesses' side.
I thought her dress matched the bricks quite splendidly !
This is me trying to be artsy-fartsy and not get much of the bowl, but just the flames. As the
Capitol did burn twice, it seemed...appropriate. When it was constructed after the capitol
was moved to Middle Plantation (renamed Williamsburg) in 1699, they were so afraid of
fire (the capitol in Jamestown had burned three times !) they built it without fireplaces and
didn't even allow candles or tobacco inside. Still it burned twice. This is the first American
structure to which the word "Capitol" was ever applied.
I jerked the camera here, but am still using this shot as there is something about the stillness
of the brick walltop with the fire and the blurred building beyond that speaks of the emotion
of a past moment for me. Again, the building almost seems to be looking with frantic eyes at
the flames.
Another lady approaching the Capitol.
And another...coming around from the eastern end.
A man walking to the Capitol from the south.
One of those interesting trees closer up.
Still another man from the south side. I like these shots as they really take you back to the time.
Looking east through one of those trees.
We started walking west again, but up Francis Street, which parallels DOG one block south. We were both
very tired, very hungry by this time and when we saw the back sign for The King's Arms Tavern, decided to
check it out. This is the brick walkway that leads from Francis toward the back of the tavern.
View to my left as we went down that walkway.
We circled around to the front of the tavern and right across the street was the Raleigh again.
I just love the Raleigh! I like the way the seven dormers march across its roof. I like
just everything about it !! The signpost is for the King's Arms.
Looking past the road apples to the Raleigh. Two days later I took a picture out that second
dormer from the right.
The King's Arms was full inside, but had room in the garden to eat...which I liked even better!
We sat under this huge arbor. That's one of the vines there on the left. The arm you see of the bench
was my seat, in fact. The air was delightful...bit of a breeze, nicely perfect temperatures. After
we ordered, I went by myself through that gate and took some pictures.
Looking up from my seat at the table.
Approaching that gate in the last light of the day.
The lights had come on, all warm and softly golden against the white siding.
Some of the garden area behind the King's Arms.
Looking back through the gate. That's Carl gazing back at me in the middle.
Strolling balladeers come around...adding a nice touch. We both had buffalo meatloaf.
Our waitress was in full costume, too, and we asked a lot of questions about the place.
The recipes they use are all 17th and 18th century ones.
Afterwards, we went back around to the Duke of Gloucester street and sat on a bench, just
staring in the night across at the Raleigh. It actually didn't show at all in this picture, so I had
to lighten it enough to make it even partially visible. But I wanted this shot as the moment was
so lovely. My dear Julian had stood just here, looking across at the Raleigh in the night before
going inside to speak with Washington and Jefferson and Wythe. In the night like this, with it so
quiet and so peopleless, it was easy to transport oneself back to the 1770's. I didn't want to
leave. It was a magic moment where the boundaries of time had fallen. Then two young girls
about 8 years old, in full costume, came skipping and laughing together down the sidewalk and
perfection went up another notch. You don't think it can, but there are usually ways.
This is the block of modern shops made to look like Colonial Williamsburg at the western
end of DOG. As we walked along here on our way back to the B&B, they reminded me
of my collection of lighted houses I used to have on the long mantel.
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