Williamsburg is a city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the
Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the
2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,998. It is bordered by
James City County6 and York County, and is an
independent city. The Bureau of Economic
Analysis combines the city of Williamsburg with James City County for statistical purposes.
Originally Middle Plantation, a 1632 fortified
settlement located on high ground on the Peninsula between the James and York rivers, it was renamed Williamsburg
after the capital of the Virginia Colony was moved there from Jamestown in 1698. The town received a royal charter as a city in 1722, and was the center of
political events in Virginia leading to the American Revolution.
Williamsburg is well-known for Colonial Williamsburg, the restored Historic
Area of the city, and for the adjacent College of William and Mary,
established in 1693, the second-oldest university in the United States. Nearby, established in 1770, the predecessor of the
current Eastern State Hospital was the first known mental hospital in the United
States.
The Historic Triangle of Virginia, which also includes Jamestown and Yorktown, is among the most popular
tourist destinations in the world, with Williamsburg located in the center. The three are linked by the National Park Service's bucolic Colonial Parkway, a 23
mile-long (37 km) National Scenic Byway which is carefully shielded from views of
commercial development. The toll-free Jamestown Ferry is located at the southern end of
the Colonial Parkway, State Route 5, another scenic byway, links Williamsburg and
Richmond).
Most highway travelers reach Williamsburg via nearby Interstate 64, U.S. Route 60, and State Route 143, each
four laned east-west highways. Commercial airline service is available at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (20 miles), and at
Richmond and Norfolk airports (55 miles each). All are located along I-64 and offer limousine service
to Williamsburg, as well as rental cars.
Williamsburg also offers good non-automobile driving alternatives for visitors and citizens. The intermodal Williamsburg Transportation Center is located in a restored Chesapeake and Ohio Railway station near the Historic Area, downtown, and the College. It
offers Amtrak and Greyhound services, taxicabs, and rental cars. There, many visitors transfer to the community's local transit bus system, Williamsburg Area Transport, which
operates accessible equipment for the mobility-impaired with bicycle racks on buses as well.
History of Williamsburg
17th century
Prior to the arrival of the English colonists at Jamestown in the
Colony of Virginia in 1607, the area which became Williamsburg was largely wooded. It
was well within the territory of the Native American group known
as the Powhatan Confederacy. In the early colonial period, the navigable rivers were the
equivalent of modern highways. For ease of travel, and security from conflicts with the Native Americans, early colonial
settlements were established close by the rivers.
By the 1630s, English settlements had grown to dominate the lower (eastern) portion of the Virginia Peninsula, and the Natives had abandoned their villages nearby such as Kiskiack (also spelled "Chiskiack"), shifting to more remote locations, but attacking intermittently. To offer
protection for the farming and fishing communities lower on the Peninsula, the colonists built a stockade across the peninsula to
provide some security from attacks by the natives.
Lying along the center-line of the Virginia Peninsula, the location which became
Williamsburg was some distance from both the James River and the York River. The elevation of the ground gradually decreased as it approached the shore of each.
Near Williamsburg, College Creek and Queen's Creek each fed into
one of the two rivers. By anchoring each end on one of these two creeks, the land area was only about 6 miles wide at that point,
much less than at other locations.
The area which became Williamsburg was settled in 1638 and called Middle Plantation, for its location on the high ground about half-way across the Peninsula. The
cross-peninsula defensive palisade completed in 1634 was an integral part of the creation of Middle
Plantation, though its exact route is long gone. Remnants have recently been discovered by archaeologists on the Bruton Heights School property adjacent to the site of the house of Governor John Page while working on a Colonial
Williamsburg archaeological research project.[1]
Jamestown, which had been the original capital of Virginia Colony, remained as such until its burning during the events of
Bacon's Rebellion in 1676. Immediately after Governor
William Berkeley regained control, temporary quarters for the functions of the seat of
government were established about 12 miles away on the high ground at Middle Plantation while the Statehouse at Jamestown was
rebuilt. The members of the House of Burgesses found the surroundings both safer and
more pleasant environmentally than Jamestown, which was muggy and plagued with mosquitoes.
A school of higher education had long been an aspiration of the colonists. An early attempt at Henricus failed after the Indian Massacre of 1622. The
location at the outskirts of the developed part of the colony had left it more vulnerable to the attack. In the 1690s, the
colonists tried again and sent Reverend James Blair who spent several years in
England lobbying and finally obtained a royal charter for the desired new school, which was named the College of William and Mary in honor of the monarchs of the time. When Reverend Blair
returned to Virginia, the new school was founded in a safe place, Middle Plantation in 1693.
Classes began in temporary quarters in 1694, and the College Building, a precursor to the Wren
Building, was soon under construction.
Four years later, the rebuilt statehouse in Jamestown burned again (in 1698), this time
accidentally. The government once again relocated temporarily to Middle Plantation, but now enjoyed use of the College's
facilities in addition to the better climate. After that fire, upon suggestion of the students of the College, who made a
presentation to the House of Burgesses, the colonial capital was permanently moved to Middle Plantation in 1699. A village was
laid out and Middle Plantation was renamed Williamsburg in honor of King William III of
England, befitting the town's newly elevated status.
-
18th Century
Following its designation as the Capital of the Colony, immediate provision was made for construction of a capitol building
and for platting the new city according to the survey of Theodoric Bland.
Alexander Spotswood, who arrived in Virginia as lieutenant governor in 1710, had
several ravines filled and the streets leveled, and assisted in erecting additional college buildings, a church, and a magazine
for the storage of arms. In 1722, the town of Williamsburg was granted a royal charter as
a city, now believed to be the oldest in the United States.
Middle Plantation was included in James City Shire when it was established in 1634,
as the Colony reached a total population of approximately 5,000. (James City Shire changed its name and became known as
James City County). However, the middle ground ridge line was essentially
the dividing line with Charles River Shire, which eventually became York County. As Williamsburg was developed, the boundaries were adjusted slightly, and for most of
the colonial period, the border between the two counties ran down the center of Duke of
Gloucester Street. During this time, and for almost 100 years after formation of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the
United States, despite some practical complications, portions of the town were located in each of the two counties.
Williamsburg was the site of the first canal built in the United States. In 1771, Lord Dunmore, Virginia's Royal Governor, announced plans to connect
Archer's Creek, which leads to the James River
with Queen's Creek, leading to the York River. It
would have been a water bridge across the Virginia Peninsula, but was not completed.
Portions of the remains of this canal are visible at the rear of the grounds behind the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg.[2]
The first psychiatric hospital in the United
States was built in the city in the 1770s as the, "Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and
Disordered Minds" (known in modern times as Eastern State Hospital), was
established by act of the Virginia colonial legislature on June 4, 1770. The act, which intended to, "Make Provision for the Support and
Maintenance of Ideots, Lunaticks, and other Persons of unsound Minds," authorized the House of Burgesses to appoint a fifteen-man
Court Of Directors to oversee the future hospital’s operations and admissions. In 1771, contractor
Benjamin Powell constructed a two-story building on Francis Street near the College capable of housing twenty-four patients. The
design of the grounds included "yards for patients to walk and take the Air in" as well as provisions for a fence to be built to
keep the patients out of the nearby town.
Beginning in April 1775, the Gunpowder incident of Williamsburg, a dispute between Governor Dunmore and Virginia colonists over gunpowder (stored in the Williamsburg Magazine)
evolved into an important event in the run-up to the American Revolution. Dunmore,
fearing another rebellion, ordered royal marines to seize gunpowder from the magazine. Virginia militia led by Patrick Henry responded to the "theft" and marched on Williamsburg. A standoff ensued, with Dunmore
threatening to destroy the city if attacked by the militia. The dispute was resolved when payment for the powder was
arranged.
Following the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolutionary War broke out in 1776. During the War,
in 1780, the capital of Virginia was moved again, this time to Richmond at the urging of then-Governor
Thomas Jefferson, who was afraid that Williamsburg's location made it vulnerable to a
British attack. However, during the Revolutionary War many important conventions were held
in Williamsburg.
19th century
With the capitol gone after 1780, Williamsburg also lost prominence, but not to the degree Jamestown had 81 years earlier.
18th and early 19th century transportation in the Colony was largely by canals and navigable
rivers. Built deliberately on "high ground," Williamsburg was not located along a major waterway
like many early communities in the United States. Early railroads beginning in the 1830s
also did not come its way.
It seemed the principal business activities of Williamsburg had been the government and the College, the latter continuing and
expanding, as well as the Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds. Both the College and the Hospital grew,
with the latter known in recent years as Eastern State Hospital.
American Civil War
The Williamsburg area saw some activity during the Peninsula Campaign of the
American Civil War (1861-1865), notably the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862 as General George McClellan's Union forces crept up the Peninsula
to lay siege to Richmond. Confederate forces, with earthen Fort Magruder as their only
physical base, were successful in delaying the Union forces long enough for the retreating Confederates to reach the outer
defenses of Richmond safely. A siege resulted, culminating in the Seven Days Battles,
and McClellan's campaign failed. As a result, the War dragged on almost 3 more years at great cost to lives and finances for both
sides before its conclusion in April 1865.
Post Civil War
About 20 years later, in 1881, Collis P.
Huntington's Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad (C&O) built through the
area, eventually establishing six stations in Williamsburg and the surrounding area. This aided passenger travel and shipping for
local farmers, but the railroad had been built primarily for through-coal traffic destined for the coal pier and export at Newport News.
Of course, there were the ongoing activities of the College of William and Mary. However, school sessions there were
temporarily suspended for financial reasons from 1882 until 1886, when the College became a state school.
Beginning in the 1890s, C&O land agent Carl M. Bergh, a Norwegian-American who had earlier farmed in the mid-western states, realized that the gentler
climate of eastern Virginia and depressed post-Civil War land prices would be attractive to his fellow Scandinavians who were
farming in other northern parts of the country. He began sending out notices, and selling land. Soon there was a substantial
concentration of relocated Americans of Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish descent in the area. The location earlier known as
Vaiden's Siding on the railroad just west of Williamsburg in James City
County, was renamed Norge. These citizens and their descendants found the area
conditions favorable as described by Bergh, and many became leading merchants, tradespersons, and farmers in the community. These
transplanted Americans brought some new blood and enthusiasm to the old colonial capitol area.
20th-21st century restoration: Colonial Williamsburg
Williamsburg was still a sleepy little town in the early 20th century. Some newer structures were interspersed with
colonial-era buildings, but the town was much less progressive than other busier communities of similar size in Virginia. Some
local lore indicates that the residents were satisfied with it that way, and longtime Virginia Peninsula journalist, author and historian Parke S.
Rouse Jr. has pointed this out in his published work. On June 26, 1912, the Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper ran
an editorial which dubbed the town "Lotusburg," for, "Tuesday was election day in Williamsburg but nobody remembered it. The
clerk forgot to wake the electoral board, the electoral board could not arouse itself long enough to have the ballots printed,
the candidates forgot they were running, the voters forgot they were alive." [1]
However, even if such complacency was common, a dream of one Episcopalian priest was to expand to change Williamsburg's future
and provide it a new major purpose, turning much of it into the world's largest living
museum. In the early 20th century, one of the largest historic restorations ever
undertaken anywhere in the world was championed by the Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin of
Williamsburg's Bruton Parish Church. Initially, Dr. Goodwin had wanted to save his
historic church building, and this he accomplished by 1907, in time for the 300th anniversary of the founding of the
Episcopal Church in Virginia. However, upon returning
to Williamsburg in 1923 after serving a number of years in upstate New York, he began to
realize that many of the other colonial-era buildings also remained, but were in deteriorating condition, and their longevity was
at risk.
Goodwin dreamed of a much larger restoration along the lines of what he had accomplished with his historic church. A cleric of
modest means, he sought support and financing from a number of sources before successfully drawing the interests and major
financial support of Standard Oil heir and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. The result of their combined efforts was the creation
of Colonial Williamsburg, which included a restoration of much of the downtown
Williamsburg area with creation of a 301-acre Historic Area to celebrate the patriots and the early history of America.
In the 21st century, Colonial Williamsburg has continued to update and refine its attractions, with more features designed to
attract modern children and offer better and additional interpretation of the African-American experience in the colonial town.
Just a little more after Dr. Goodwin's work began, the effort to maintain and improve this corner piece of Virginia and United
States history remains a remarkable work-in-progress.
In addition to the Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg, the city's railroad station was restored to become an intermodal
passenger facility (see Transportation section below). Nearby in James City County, the old ca. 1908 C&O Railway combination passenger and freight station
at Norge was preserved and after donation by CSX
Transportation, was relocated in 2006 to property at the Croaker Branch of the Williamsburg
Regional Library.
Today, Colonial Williamsburg is Virginia's largest tourist attraction based upon attendance and forms the centerpiece of the
Historic Triangle with Jamestown and Yorktown joined by the Colonial Parkway.
See also article Colonial Williamsburg
Modern political involvement
The third of three debates between Republican President Gerald Ford and Democratic
challenger Jimmy Carter was held at Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall at the College of William and Mary on October 22,
1976. Perhaps in tribute to the debate’s historic venue, as well as to the United States Bicentennial celebration, both candidates spoke of a "new spirit" in
America.
The 9th G7 Summit was held in Williamsburg in 1983. The
summit participants discussed the growing debt crisis, arms control and greater co-operation between the Soviet Union and the G7 (now the G8). At the end of the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz read to the press a
statement confirming the deployment of American Pershing II-nuclear rockets in West Germany
later in 1983.
Geography and climate
Geography
Williamsburg is located at 37°16′29″N, 76°42′30″W.7
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 22.5 km² (8.7 mi²). 22.1 km² (8.5 mi²) of it is
land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.50% water.
Williamsburg is spread upon a ridge on the peninsula between the James and York Rivers. Queen's
Creek and College Creek (called in early days Archer's Hope Creek) partly encircle the
city.
The city is located on the I-64 corridor on the Virginia Peninsula, 45 miles southeast of Richmond and approximately 37 miles northwest of Norfolk. It is in the northwest corner of the greater Hampton
Roads area, (officially known as the Virginia
Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA), which is the 34th
largest in the United States, with a total population of 1,576,370. The area includes the Virginia cities of
Norfolk, Virginia Beach,
Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Williamsburg, and the counties of
Gloucester, Isle of
Wight, James City, Mathews, Surry, and York, as well as the North Carolina county of
Currituck. While Virginia Beach is the most populated city within
Hampton Roads, it currently functions more as a suburb. The city of Norfolk is
recognized as the central business district, while the Virginia Beach seaside resort district and Williamsburg are primarily
centers of tourism.
Climate
Williamsburg's mild four season climate means outdoor activities can be enjoyed year round. The weather in Williamsburg is
temperate and seasonal. Summers are hot and humid with cool evenings. The mean
annual temperature is 60 °F (15 °C), with an
average annual snowfall of 6 inches and an average annual rainfall of 47 inches. No measurable snow
fell in 1999. The wettest seasons are the spring and
summer, although rainfall is fairly constant all year round. The highest recorded
temperature was 104.0°F (40.0°C) on June 26, 1952 and
August 22, 1983. The lowest recorded temperature was -7.0°F
(-21.6°C) on January 21, 1985.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 11,998 people, 3,619
households, and 1,787 families residing in the city. The population density is
542.4/km² (1,404.1/mi²). There are 3,880 housing units at an average density of 175.4/km² (454.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the
city is 79.54% White, 13.34% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 4.58% Asian,
0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. 2.52% of the population
are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 3,619 households out of which 16.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% are married couples living together, 9.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 50.6% are
non-families. 35.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or
older. The average household size is 2.07 and the average family size is 2.66.
The age distribution, which is heavily influenced by the College of
William and Mary, is: 9.6% under the age of 18, 46.0% from 18 to 24, 17.7% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.7%
who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 23 years. For every 100 females there are 81.3 males. For every 100 females
age 18 and over, there are 80.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $37,093, and the median income for a family is $52,358. Males have a median
income of $28,625 versus $26,840 for females. The per capita income for the city is
$18,483. 18.3% of the population and 9.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out
of the total population, 29.7% of those under the age of 18 and 5.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Williamsburg is notable for the fact that a high proportion of city residents derive a significant percentage of their annual
income from investment sources, either in addition to or in lieu of income from work. This is because many retirees relocate to
Williamsburg, who typically draw income from investments such as 401(k) plans and the like (see
also retirement community).
Economy
The tourist volume of Colonial Williamsburg has attracted many other related businesses to the area. Notable among these was
Anheuser-Busch, which established large operations in James City County and York County just
outside the city. The company operates a large brewery there, and a subsidiary of the company
operates two of its theme parks near the brewery, Busch Gardens Europe, and Water Country USA.
Anheuser-Busch's subsidiary Busch Properties also operates a commerce park, McLaw's
Circle, and Kingsmill on the James a gated residential neighborhood that contains a
resort of the same name.
Culture
Media
The major daily newspaper in Williamsburg is the Daily Press, published in nearby Newport
News. The Virginia Gazette is a bi-weekly, local newspaper, published
in Williamsburg, and is the first newspaper paper to be published south of the Potomac
River, starting in 1736. Its publisher was William
Parks, who had similar ventures in Maryland.
Williamsburg is served by the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News designated market area (DMA), which is the forty-second largest in the U.S. with 712,790 homes (0.64% of
the total U.S.).[3]
Museums and other points of interest
Williamsburg is perhaps best known for its tourist and historical points of interest, the centerpiece of which is
Colonial Williamsburg, which is essentially a living history museum, depicting the lifestyles and culture of the 18th
Century colonial period in American history. Major
points of interest in this historic district include the Virginia's first
capitol building, the Governor's Palace, Bruton Parish Church (the oldest continually-operating church in
the United States), and the College of
William and Mary.
Other highlights in the city include The Williamsburg Winery (Virginia's largest winery), the Williamsburg Botanical Garden, and the National Center for State Courts. Also located in Williamsburg are two major
theme parks, Busch Gardens Europe and
Water Country USA, as well as Go-Karts Plus
action park and 2 miniature golf courses. The enormous 200-acre Williamsburg
Pottery Factory shopping complex visited by 3 million people annually is located at nearby Lightfoot, VA. High-quality
artistic and ornamental items are sold at the Market Square shops adjacent to the colonial area, and at many stores on Richmond
Road, including 3 "Christmas shops". Richmond Road also has an outlet shopping center of various discounted famous name brand
apparels. President's Park is a new educational attraction displaying outdoor statue heads of all 43 Presidents, each one
accompanied by a descriptive biographical plaque.
Infrastructure
Government
The "city" which Williamsburg became in 1722 had portions located in both James City and York County. In 1870, the
Virginia General Assembly changed the boundaries so that it was entirely
within James City County. The new state constitution which took effect that year also created the political entity known as an
independent city, which is not located in any county. Williamsburg subsequently met the
requirements and changed to that status, continuing to share a joint court system. The city also operates a joint
school division with James City County, under voluntary agreement which leaders revisit
at planned intervals.
Williamsburg, as an independent city, has operated under the council-manager form of government since 1932. The governing
body is composed of public-spirited citizens serving on a part-time basis to decide major policy issues. The Mayor is elected by the city council, and presides over council meetings and
served as the Chief Elected Official for the city. The city council consists of five members that serve staggered, four-year
terms. A city manager is hired by the city council, and is comparable to a corporation's
chief executive officer. This person is usually a professionally-trained public
administrator, who is charged with implementing the policies and directives of the city council, and has broad administrative
authority with strict rules prohibiting political interference in administrative matters.
As of 2007, the current Mayor of the city of Williamsburg is Jeanne Zeidler (daughter of former
Milwaukee mayor Frank P. Zeidler), and
the Vice Mayor is Clyde A. Haulman. Other members of the city council are Paul Freiling, Bobby Braxton, and Mickey Chohany. The
current city manager is Jackson C. Tuttle.
The city shares constitutional officers, courts, and the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools system (WJCC) with adjacent
James City County, and is the county
seat.
As a college town, Williamsburg's large student population has also resulted in a few
conflicts with the local city government. For example, in addressing concerns of property values and noise complaints near the
campus, the council has undertaken initiatives to reduce student off-campus residential presence in the city by instituting a
maximum occupancy rule of three-unrelated persons for single-family dwellings,[4] as well as a plan to buy rental houses with taxpayer dollars and resell
them with the stipulation that the new owners must occupy them.[5] Prior to July 1, 2007, the voting registrar, David Andrews, had interpreted Virginia law to
exclude a high percentage of students. He argued that students should be registered in their home districts. The new voter
registrar, Win Sowder, said she is registering students as she would "any other resident of the city. If they're living in the
dorms for eight months out of the year, and have an address located within the city limits on a Virginia driver's license,
they're entitled to register to vote."[6]
Education
Elementary and secondary public schools
The public school system is jointly operated by the city of Williamsburg and James City County. The Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools system (known informally as
"WJCC") consists approximately 9,000 students in 12 schools, of which there are 7 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 2
high schools. Within the county's boundaries, the two high schools, Lafayette and Jamestown, are considered above average institutions. A third high
school, to be named Warhill High School, is under construction in the Lightfoot
area. It and an eighth elementary school, to be named Matoaka Elementary School, are scheduled to
open in the fall of 2007.
James River Elementary School, located in the
Grove Community in the county's southeastern end, is a magnet school. It offers the International Baccalaureate
Primary Years Programme, one of only five such schools Virginia to do so.[7]
For the 2001-2002 academic year, the public school system was
ranked among the top five school systems in the Commonwealth of Virginia and in the top 15%
nationwide by Expansion Management Magazine. There are also two regional Governor's Schools in the area that serve gifted
and talented students.
Higher education
The city has also been the home to the College of William and Mary
since its founding in 1693, making it America's second oldest college (behind Harvard University). Technically a university, the College of William and Mary was also the first
U.S. institution to have a Royal Charter, and the only one to have coat-of-arms from the
College of Arms in London. The College campus closely adjoins the Historic
District, and the Wren Building of the College at the head of Duke of Gloucester
Street was one of the earliest restored by the efforts of Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin
and the family of John D. Rockefeller Jr. as they began creating what is now
commonly known as Colonial Williamsburg. Over 70% of the students of the College either work part-time or serve as volunteers in
the community. Students contribute over 300,000 hours of volunteer service to the Williamsburg community annually.[8]
Six other Universities are located within a one-hour drive of the city, including Christopher Newport University (Newport
News), Old Dominion University (Norfolk), Hampton University (Hampton), Virginia Commonwealth University
(Richmond), the University of
Richmond (Richmond) and Virginia
Union University (Richmond).
There are also three community colleges, offering associate degrees and college
transfer programs, within a twenty-five mile radius of Williamsburg: Thomas
Nelson Community College, Paul D. Camp Community College, and Rappahannock Community College. A branch of Thomas Nelson Community College is located just east of the city
limits in James City County.
Transportation
Airports
Williamsburg is served by the Newport News/Williamsburg
International Airport, in nearby Newport News, approximately 20 miles
distant.
The Norfolk International Airport and Richmond International Airport, each located about 55 miles away via Interstate highways,
are larger and offer considerably more flights. Williamsburg is roughly equidistant from these two airports. However, due to
traffic concerns in crossing the harbor of Hampton Roads, the Richmond airport is often a shorter driving time away.
The Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport is a
small general aviation airport located 3 miles southwest of Williamsburg, that provides air transport for private and small
business jets.
Highways
Williamsburg is located adjacent to Interstate 64 which parallels
U.S. Route 60 and runs east-west in the area. State Route 199, officially named the Humelsine Parkway, surrounds the city in a semicircle.
State Route 5 links the city with the James River Plantations along the north shore of the James River, Interstate 295 and Richmond.
State Route 31 links the city to Jamestown and the toll-free Jamestown Ferry.
The Colonial Parkway provides a bucolic low-speed link between the points of the
Historic Triangle which in addition to Colonial Williamsburg, includes Jamestown and
Yorktown. It passes under the "Restored Area" in a tunnel. With the exception of buses,
commercial vehicles are not allowed on the Parkway.
In the "restored" or Historic Area, motorized traffic is not allowed on Duke of Gloucester Street, helping visitors to gain a
perspective of what life was really like transportation-wise in the colonial days (before the invention of the automobile). There
are bus stops and some parking areas located conveniently nearby, however. The only exceptions to this are for residents living
in the historic area, and members of Bruton Parish Church, who have limited access and parking on Sundays.
Transportation center: intercity rail, bus and local services
- See also: Williamsburg (Amtrak
station)
Unlike many U.S. destinations, Williamsburg offers good non-automobile driving alternatives for visitors and citizens. The
area has both a central intermodal transportation center and a public transit bus system.
The transportation center affords easy access to the Colonial Williamsburg
Visitor's Center and is located near the downtown and restored areas and the College of William and Mary.
The Williamsburg Transportation Center itself is a restored building which is a former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway station now owned by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. It is served by several Amtrak
trains a day, with direct service to Newport News, Richmond, and points along the Northeast Corridor from
Washington DC through New York City to Boston. Intercity bus service is provided by Greyhound Lines (Carolina Trailways) and Hampton Roads
Transit (HRT).
The center also offers several modes of local transportation. Williamsburg Area
Transport (WAT) uses the center as a transfer hub for its network of handicapped accessible transit bus routes serving the city, James City County,
and most portions of York County adjacent to the Williamsburg area, with hourly
service 6 days a week during daytime and evening hours. Taxicabs and rental cars are also based
at the transportation center.
Local bus services: WAT, CW, and W&M
The community's public bus system, Williamsburg Area Transport (WAT), has
its central hub at the transportation center. Various color-coded routes, with buses accessible to disabled persons, serve many
hotels and motels, restaurants, stores, and non-CW attractions in the City of Williamsburg and much of neighboring
James City County and part of York
County. The system also provides paratransit services and operates replica trolley
buses at the Yorktown Riverfront attraction.
WAT connects with the much larger Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) (Route 116) bus
system at Lee Hall in northwestern Newport News and at the Williamsburg
Transportation Center (HRT Route 121). HRT routes connect to many other cities to the east in Hampton Roads and Greyhound Lines bus routes serve a nationwide
network.
WAT also operates a bus line for the College of William and Mary
and its students, faculty, and staff, connecting the central university campus with points in the city of Williamsburg and James
City County, the law school campus, and various outlying dormitories and auxiliary buildings owned or operated by the university
that are not contiguous with the main campus.
See also
References
Websites
- ^ David F. Muraca (1998).
The John Page Site:Excavation of a Major House Site on the Bruton Heights Property. Colonial Williamsburg.
Retrieved on 2006-05-31.
- ^ Charles A. Grymes (1998).
Second-Worst
Decision of the State of Virginia?. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
- ^ Holmes, Gary. "Nielsen Reports 1.1% increase in U.S. Television Households for the 2006-2007 Season."
Nielsen Media Research. August 23,
2006. Retrieved on February 20, 2007.
- ^ Evans, James (November 5
2004). Three's a Crowd, Four is Illegal. DoG Street Journal. Retrieved on 2006-05-30.
- ^ Damon, James (March 17
2006). City Council Votes to Purchase House. The Flat Hat. Retrieved on 2006-05-30.
- ^ Day,Shawn (September
26 2007). Registrar gives nod to students. Daily Press.
- ^ "About James River." James River Elementary School. Retrieved on [[{February 24]],
2007.
- ^ Whitson, Brian (April 27,
2006). Community
contributions: Students invest more than 300,000 hours. William and Mary News. Retrieved on 2006-05-31.
Publications
- McCartney, Martha W. (1977) James City County: Keystone of the Commonwealth; James City County, Virginia; Donning and
Company; ISBN 0-89865-999-X
External links
