Peyton Randolph House, National Historic Landmark in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.
The Peyton Randolph House is a two-story wood-frame structure with Georgian architectural features, including a seven-part main facade and unevenly spaced windows. The property also includes areas where enslaved people lived and worked, making the entire site a functional whole that tells a complete story.
The house was built in several phases between 1715 and 1724, with two different owners adding sections at different times. Its development reflected the growing importance of this family within colonial society.
The house reveals the contradictions of colonial life, as a wealthy family made decisions within these walls while enslaved people kept the estate functioning daily. The preserved rooms and work areas tell the story of the invisible yet essential labor that sustained this society.
Visitors can explore the building and its associated work areas through guided tours offered regularly throughout the day. It is worthwhile to allow time for both sections to understand the complete story of the property.
The building preserves an original 18th-century marble fireplace mantel and an ingenious water collection system with a storage tank in the attic. This practical detail reveals how residents once solved everyday challenges.
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