We wandered back into the heart of the
town, stopping by a blacksmith works and watched as he made an S
hook used in cooking. This is the single most marvelous part of
the entire operations. It functions as an actual community,
making all the tools, cloths, wigs or whatever is needed to keep
the actors in costume. There's even a cobbler who makes the shoes
the presenters were wearing. Laura was given a beautiful piece of
scrap leather for me to make a sharpening strop for my carving
knives. Another shop we paused at was the wagon maker's. There
are hundreds of wagons in use in the park,
excluding the formal carriages. From
wheelbarrows to donkey carts, that deliver the produce throughout
the park, all are made at the wagon shop. The idea that the park
itself is the market for all the craftsmen and artists is a
credit to the creators and managers in the back rooms that
orchestrate this fully operational community. As the evening
began drawing to an end it was time to get involved. I was drafted into the
local militia around 4:00 P.M. with 
the task of protecting Payton
Randolph, speaker of the house of Burgesses from being arrested
by British Marines, as he left for Philadelphia. At that time,
fear of reprisals from the Military caused most of the delegates
traveling to Philadelphia to discuss the possibility of
independence, to travel with an armed escort. In most cases, the
delegates were passed from one county militia to another, as they proceeded to
their
destination. It was quite a hoot and the crowd cheered as we
attempted to execute left wheels and military salutes with our
(stick) muskets, in response to the mock insults of our drill
instructors. We wound up our visit to this historic recreation
with a tour of the Governor's Palace and gardens. Although burned
to the ground in 1781, documentation was so accurate that a
complete restoration has been accomplished. Williamsburg was the
colonial seat for the Virginia colony
and as such the residence of the Governor who was appointed by
the King. It was a show place for the affluent and influential,
hosting gala balls and garden parties. The wall 
decorations were
somewhat unusual. The walls and ceiling of the entry hall and the
stairway were completely covered with muskets, pistols, swords
and bayonets. We
were told that it was a tradition at the time to show off one's wealth as well as
maintaining control of the local fire power in the event of an
uprising. As we passed through the giant dining room, we were
greeted by the music of cellist Wayne Noss who presented a
variety of chamber music for our enjoyment. Having completed the
tour, we wandered through the gardens adjacent to the Palace.
These were a combination of herb gardens, fruit trees, shade
trees and bushes. It was common for the Governors to hold garden
parties where the aristocrats could mingle while discussing
matters of state and trade.
Although it appears that we toured Williamsburg in a single day, it actually took the better part of a week, with appropriate side trips to Bassett Hall, Carter's Grove and the various art galleries which will be treated as independent stories. This area is an absolute must for anybody interested in this country and the basics by which it was founded. Take your time and see it all, and hats off to those past and present with the far sightedness and determination to preserve this cornerstone in American History.
