{"nrhp_refnum":"66000925","name":"Williamsburg Historic District","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Bounded by Francis, Waller, Nicholson, N. England, Lafayette, and Nassau Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Williamsburg (Independent City)","county":"Williamsburg","state":"VA","lat":37.27201808500004,"lon":-76.69727553180859,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1966-10-15","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1960-10-09","areas_of_significance":["Conservation","Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A historic district in the independent city of Williamsburg, Virginia, covering about 173 acres of the 18th-century colonial capital, restored and reconstructed beginning in 1927 under John D. Rockefeller, Jr.","why_significant":"Williamsburg was the capital of colonial Virginia and a political and cultural center for about eighty years, where future Revolutionary leaders studied, taught or served. Key events include Patrick Henry's speeches, George Mason's Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Constitution of 1776. The restoration is also regarded as a standard of scholarly historic restoration.","narrative":"Williamsburg Historic District preserves the core of Virginia's colonial capital, which served in that role from 1699 until 1779, when government moved to Richmond. Restoration began in 1927 under John D. Rockefeller, Jr. About 600 buildings were removed, roughly 100 were restored and about 350 were reconstructed on their original sites. Restored buildings include the Public Magazine, Ludwell-Paradise House, Old Courthouse, Bruton Parish Church and George Wythe House. Reconstructions include the Capitol, Raleigh Tavern and Governor's Palace. Old College Yard anchors the western end of Duke of Gloucester Street. The district covers about 173 acres, following the 1966 Historic Area boundary. In the 18th century, Patrick Henry delivered his Stamp Act speeches here, George Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, and the Virginia Constitution of 1776 was drawn up. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and George Wythe also studied, taught or served in office here. The restoration remains a benchmark for historical research.","period_of_significance":"1699-1779","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Early Georgian","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as excellent but altered, on its original site; the district is occupied, open year-round to the public, and used for commercial, educational, entertainment and museum purposes.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:57.449665-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/84/6791/41679184/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/66000925_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000925/91eada2c75-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000925/91eada2c75-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.0","author":"Humberto Moreno","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colonial_Williamsburg_(3205781804).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Humberto Moreno</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colonial_Williamsburg_(3205781804).jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"06000365","name":"Merchants Square and Resort Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/merchants-square-and-resort-historic-district-06000365/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41679184","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_Williamsburg","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q841700"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/williamsburg/williamsburg-historic-district-66000925/"}