I took this photo of the Governor’s Palace at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia during a visit several years ago. C.W. is the oldest and largest living history museum in the world. 89 buildings survive from the 18th century and others have been reconstructed to recreate the city as it appeared in the 1770s. It is one of the best sites for getting a sense of American life at the time of the Revolution.
The Governor’s Palace is one of the reconstructed buildings. The original, built between 1706 and 1722, burned in 1781. Period descriptions, prints and drawings, including measured plans for the palace drawn by Thomas Jefferson while Governor of Virginia during the Revolution, were the basis of the reconstruction in the 1930s.
Visiting historic house museums can be a great way to get inspiration for your own project. The more immersive experience of visiting a historic village or living history museum, like Colonial Williamsburg, is even better.
Seeing multiple houses along with stores, workshops, and streetscapes makes it easier to understand historic houses in the context of the time they were built. If you’re fortunate, you will see restoration work in progress and be able to talk to the people doing the work.
In the meantime, you can gain inspiration and information for your project in “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
Our shop also carries select preservation and restoration titles by other authors. Save on cost and shipping with our multi-book combo packs!
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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