The official Presidents’ Day was Monday, February 19, but we all grew up knowing that George Washington was born on February 22. Even this historical fact is not technically true; under the Julian calendar, which was in effect through 1752, his birthdate was February 11. In 1752 Britain and its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, which moved Washington’s birthday a year and 11 days to February 22, 1732. Without going into specifics, the Julian calendar gradually lengthened the calendar year, gaining a day every 129 years. By 1752 the two calendars were 11 days apart. In addition, under the Julian calendar in use in England before 1752, the legal year began on March 25th rather than on January 1st. This meant that any references to events that occurred between January 1 and March 25 are “double-dated.” This means that references to Washington’s birthday ought to identify it as February 11/22, 1731/32. Genealogist know about this historical quirk, but most other people don’t think about it very much even if they sort of know it.
But I digress.
George Washington is routinely identified as the “essential man” of America’s revolutionary and founding era. His role in the colonies’ military victory over the British has only gained luster since the events themselves. The fact that he would be the leading figure in the nation’s early governments under the Constitution was undisputed by everyone at the time. He was president of the 1787 Constitutional Convention, and he wore his uniform as he served in that position just so that everyone would remember who he was. The Constitution’s description of the powers and limitations on the office of President of the United States was crafted with Washington in mind. He served two terms as President, establishing many of the norms that the country observes today.
One of the joys of living in Williamsburg is the routine brushes with history. It is not uncommon to see costumed interpreters in the grocery store, picking up a few things on their way home from work. You see them in the library, at the gas stations, and at Starbucks. When you first move here, you stare and sometimes point at the people who are so obviously in costume. But then you stop reacting to it – although you still notice it.
There are two types of costumed employees at Colonial Williamsburg. The guides and the employees in the shops are almost always costumed but they are not “in character.” They answer questions from visitors and give them directions if they are lost. However, the “in-character” costumed interpreters don’t break character. If you ask them for directions to the Visitors’ Center, they will respond in some confusion, misinterpreting your words (to the great amusement of everyone around). Their response to this question might be something like, “Does madame perhaps refer to a place where travelers might find food and repose? May I direct you to Mrs. Campbell’s Tavern, where you will find appropriate accommodations for your and your party?” Pretty cute, but not helpful if you want to get back to where you left your car.
Currently, an actor named Ron Carnegie plays the role of George Washington in Williamsburg. He can be seen riding down the street on his horse or hobnobbing with citizens on Duke of Gloucester Street. Thomas Jefferson is portrayed by Kurt Smith; he accepted this gig in 2016, following on a storied career by Bill Barker, who portrayed Jefferson for 30 years. After Barker left Williamsburg, he moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, to continue his portrayal of Jefferson at Monticello. James Madison is portrayed by Bryan Austin, a veteran actor and writer with over 20 years in the theater and museum world.
I couldn’t find an exact number of in-character costumed employees that work for Colonial Williamsburg, but there are dozens of them. Actors portray not only named figures in colonial history; they also portray unnamed types. For example, actors play the role of enslaved individuals as they go about their business in the town – shopping, housekeeping, and gardening. They play the role of Native Americans, whose presence in the town was noted by almost every visitor but who were invisible in virtually all histories about the time period.
Given all of this, it’s not surprising that The Virginia Gazette used Presidents’ Day to focus on the most famous American and the most popular President in American History – George Washington – and his ties to the town. His diaries and journals reveal that between 1752 and 1774 at least 55 times – and almost certainly more, because diaries for several years are missing.
Here’s a quick run-down of his links to Williamsburg.
1749 – receives his surveyor’s license from William and Mary
1752 – presents himself to Lt. Gov. Robert Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie was living in the Robert Carter House on Palace Green at the time because the Governor’s Palace was undergoing renovation
1753 – Dinwiddie names him as an officer in the Virginia militia and later that year sends in to deliver a letter to the French, demanding that they leave the Ohio Valley.
1754 – troops led by Washington are defeated at Fort Necessity
1758-1775 – served in the Virginia House of Burgesses in Williamsburg
1759 – marries Martha Dandridge Custis, who had inherited a Custis Square, a large home in Williamsburg, at the death of her husband Daniel Parke Custis. (NOTE: Custis Square is the current site of an archeological dig. It’s fun to walk by and see what they’re up to.
1781 – made his headquarters in the home of George Wythe (on Palace Green) in the days leading up to the siege of Yorktown.
1788 – named Chancellor of the College of William and Mary. This is a ceremonial position (head of the Board of Visitors) that does not have any power over the operations of the College. In fact, Washington accepted the appointment only with the proviso that he didn’t have to go to Williamsburg while he was serving in the job. As far as anyone can tell, he never visited Williamsburg while he was Chancellor. He was the first Chancellor during the post-colonial era. NOTE: the current Chancellor is Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense for both the Bush II and Obama administrations. Former Chancellors include Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Henry Kissinger, and Supreme Courst Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
Today’s Gazette presents more than the bare bones about Washington’s connection to Williamsburg. It notes that during the seven years prior to the Revolution, Washington recorded 91 visits to Christiana Campbell’s Tavern, 43 visits to the Raleigh Tavern, and 16 visits to Weatherburn’s Tavern. He visited the home of Peyton Randolph, speaker of the House of Burgesses, on 23 occasions. He regularly visited Mr. Charlton’s Coffee House and the King’s Arms Tavern – both very close to the Capitol Building on the east end of Duke of Gloucester Street and a common place for government officials to meet and socialize during the legislative sessions.
He apparently loved the theater and attended at least 20 performances as the Williamsburg Theater on Palace Green. His diaries also note regular visits to doctors, barbers, and dentists. He was in regular attendance at Bruton Parish Church – also on Palace Green. This article doesn’t talk about it, but other evidence shows that Washington loved a good party. He was a good dancer and was often noted as being on the dance floor long after others had retired to the sidelines to watch the dancing. He danced through the evening, imbibing on the offered refreshments with gusto.
Diaries like Washington’s provide tantalizing insights into life in 18th-century Williamsburg – but they are more than that. For almost 100 years, historians have been working to restore Williamsburg as closely as possible to what it was like in the last quarter of the 18th century. This was possible in part because the town was kind of frozen in time after the capital moved to Richmond in 1780. Williamsburg languished and did not experience the kind of growth that would have led to the destruction of many of the colonial-era structures. In the 1920s, the Rev. W. A. R. Goodwin (rector at Bruton Parish) came up with the idea of restoring Williamsburg in the 1920s. He made contact with the Rockefeller family, who decided to begin the process in the 1930s.
But there were things that needed to be undone during this process. Time had not stood still between 1780 and 1930. Structures were built, renovated, moved, and destroyed. Streetscapes changed. Gas stations were built and electric wires were strung. Once evidence of the intervening 150 years had been eradicated, then it was time to figure out what to build in its place. Official records helped a lot, that’s for sure. But sometimes private diaries provided a hint for further research.
The Robert Charlton Coffee House is a case in point. In the 1930s, a private residence was on the site of this coffee house. There was some evidence that there had been a coffeehouse in the general area, but no one knew where it was. A diary reference to seeing George Washington ride down to the Capitol one day, and some information about the vantage point of the observer, led researchers to identify the probable locations of the coffeeshop which became the site of an archeological dig. Today, visitors can have a cup of coffee at the restored Charlton Coffee House as they visit Colonial Williamsburg.
Love this. He’s a real human. I always think about TJ walking around W&M. Weird, I know.