Governor's Palace, Colonial mansion in Williamsburg, United States
The Governor's Palace is a colonial mansion in Williamsburg, Virginia, with two side wings attached to a central main block topped by a distinctive cupola. A garden enclosed by brick walls stretches from the rear of the structure and leads through terraces and walkways into a larger landscape area.
The structure served seven royal governors and later two elected governors as their official residence beginning in 1722, until the capital relocated to Richmond in 1780. A fire destroyed the original building completely in 1781, after which it was reconstructed in the 1930s using historical sources.
The central forecourt with its distinctive roofline helped residents and visitors identify the town's most important building from a distance. Its formal layout and symmetrical facade served as a template for many later manor houses across the region.
Guided tours take visitors through three floors furnished with period objects and weapons, with trained staff leading groups through the rooms. The visit can be combined with a walk through the garden grounds, which is possible without an additional tour.
A copper plate discovered at Oxford's Bodleian Library provided crucial clues for the reconstruction in the 1930s. This source allowed builders to recreate the exterior appearance and many details as they existed before the fire.
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