Williamsburg Virginia: Encyclopedia - Williamsburg Virginia

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg is a city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,998. It is the county seat of James City County^GR6, although it is itself an independent city. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Williamsburg with James City county for statistical purposes. Williamsburg is well-known for the restored colonial area of the city, Colonial Williamsburg, and for the College of William and Mary which is situated mostly within the city of Williamsburg. The newspaper of record is The Virginia Gazette.

Williamsburg Virginia - History

Williamsburg Virginia - 17th-18th centuries

Williamsburg was settled in 1632 and was called Middle Plantation. The College of William and Mary was founded in Middle Plantation in 1693. In 1699 the village was laid out and renamed to Williamsburg in honor of King William III of England. The town was granted a royal charter as a city in 1722.

Jamestown was the original capital of Virginia Colony, and remained as such until its burning in during the events of Bacon's Rebellion in 1676. Temporary quarters were established about 12 miles away on high ground at Middle Plantation, but the rebuilt statehouse in Jamestown burned again in 1698. After that fire, upon suggestion by students of the College of William and Mary, the colonial capital was permanently moved to nearby Middle Plantation again, and the town was renamed Williamsburg.

Williamsburg's local newspaper, the Virginia Gazette, was the first newspaper paper published south of the Potomac River in 1736. The publisher was William Parks.

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 a 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.

In 1780, during the American Revolutionary War, the capital was moved again to Richmond at the urging of then-Governor Thomas Jefferson, who was afraid that Williamsburg's location made it vulnerable to a British attack. During the Revolutionary War many important conventions were held in Williamsburg.

Williamsburg Virginia - 19th century

With the capitol gone after 1780, Williamsburg also lost prominence. Early 19th century transportation 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.

The area saw some activity during the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War (1861-1865), notably the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862. About 20 years later, in 1881, Collis P. Huntington's Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad (with mostly through-coal traffic) built through the area. Of course, there were the ongoing activities of the College of William and Mary, but even that was suspended from 1882 until 1886.

Williamsburg Virginia - 20th century restoration: Colonial Williamsburg

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. However, he began to realize that much of the other colonial era buildings also remained, but were at risk. He sought 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 which resulted in the creation of Colonial Williamsburg, to celebrate the patriots and the early history of America. Today, Colonial Williamsburg forms the centerpiece of the Historic Triangle with Jamestown and Yorktown joined by the Colonial Parkway.

See also article Colonial Williamsburg

Williamsburg Virginia - Anheuser-Busch: brewery theme park development

Anheuser-Busch has large operations in James City 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 Williamsburg, and Water Country USA. Anheuser-Busch's subsidiary Busch Properties operates a commerce park, McLaw's Circle, and Kingsmill on the James a residential neighborhood that contains a resort of the same name.

Williamsburg Virginia - G7 Summit

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.

Williamsburg Virginia - Geography and climate

Williamsburg Virginia - Geography

Williamsburg is located at 37°16′29″N, 76°42′30″W.^GR7

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.

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.

Williamsburg Virginia - 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.

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).

Williamsburg Virginia - Infrastructure

Williamsburg Virginia - Government

The 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.

The current Mayor of the city of Williamsburg is Jeanne Zeidler, and the Vice Mayor is Clyde A. Haulman. Other members of the city council are Paul Freiling, Billy Scruggs, and Mickey Chohany. The current city manager is Jackson C. Tuttle.

The city shares constitutional officers, courts, and a school system with adjacent James City County, and is the county seat.

Williamsburg Virginia - Education

The public school system is jointly operated by the city of Williamsburg and James City County. The system consists approximately 9,000 students in 12 schools, of which there are 7 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 2 high schools. The two high schools, both of which are within the County's boundaries, are Jamestown and Lafayette High Schools. Both are considered above average institutions, but since Jamestown was more recently built, it has superior facilites and boasts a quality teaching staff. In 2005, Jamestown boasted a student who received a perfect score on the SAT. 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.

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. It is also the first U.S. institution to have a Royal Charter. Three other institutions of higher education are located within a one hour drive of the city, including Christopher Newport University (Newport News), Old Dominion University (Norfolk), and Hampton University (Hampton). 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.

Williamsburg Virginia - Transportation

Williamsburg is served by the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, in nearby Newport News. The Norfolk International Airport and Richmond International Airport, each located a short drive away, are larger and offer considerably more flights. These two airports are convenient as Williamsburg is roughly equidistant from the two major cities. 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.

Williamsburg is located on Interstate 64 which parallels U.S. Highway 60 in the area. State Highway 199 surrounds the city in a semicircle and is occasionally humorously called the Williamsburg Beltway. Virginia State Highway 5 links the city with the James River Plantations along the north shore of the James River, Interstate 295 and Richmond. Virginia State Highway 31 links the city to Jamestown and the toll-free Jamestown Ferry which connects to Virginia State Highway 10 at Surry, offering access to plantations south of the river as well as Hopewell, City Point, and Smithfield, Virginia.

The Colonial Parkway provides a bucolic low-speed link between the points of the Historic Triangle which in addition to Colonial Williamsburg, included Jamestown and Yorktown. Also, motorized traffic is not allowed on Duke of Gloucester Street in the historic district, allowing visitors to gain a perspective of what life was really like in the colonial days.

Intercity bus service is provided by Greyhound Lines. Local public transit bus and paratransit services are provided by Williamsburg Area Transit, which connects with the much larger Hampton Roads Transit bus system at Lee Hall in northwestern Newport News. The College of William and Mary also operates a bus service for students of the university, which runs between locations on the central university campus, 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.

The city is also 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.

See also

• List of famous people from Hampton Roads
• Colonial Williamsburg
• Jamestown Settlement
• Green Spring Plantation
• Historic Triangle
• Colonial Parkway
• Norge, a small town with an Historic District near Williamsburg which was settled by Norwegian-American people and named for their homeland. ("Norge" is the Norwegian word for "Norway")

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Williamsburg Virginia", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki