1607History
== History ==
=== 17th century ===
Before English settlers arrived at Jamestown to establish the Colony of Virginia in 1607, the area that would become Williamsburg formed par...
1622Crime
An early attempt at Henricus failed after the Indian massacre of 1622; the location at the outskirts of the developed part of the colony had left it vulnerable to attack.
1625History
1625–1649) fell out of favor with the citizens of England.
1630Crime
Between 1630 and 1633, after the war that followed the Indian massacre of 1622, English colonists constructed a defensive palisade across the peninsula and a settlement named Mi...
1632Military
In 1632, English settlers founded Middle Plantation as a fortified settlement on high ground between the James and York rivers and farther inland than their headquarters at Jame...
1634Government
Middle Plantation was included in James City Shire when it was established in 1634, as the colony reached a total population of approximately 5,000.
1676Government
Jamestown, the original capital of Virginia Colony, burned down during the events of Bacon's Rebellion in 1676.
1693Government
The College of William & Mary, established in Middle Plantation in 1693, is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States.
1694Education
Classes began in temporary quarters in 1694, and construction soon started on the College Building, a precursor to the Wren Building.
1698Architecture
Four years later, in 1698, the rebuilt Statehouse in Jamestown burned down again, this time accidentally.
1699Government
The city of Williamsburg was established at the site of Middle Plantation in 1699.
1710Government
Alexander Spotswood, who arrived in Virginia as lieutenant governor in 1710, had several ravines filled and streets leveled, and assisted in erecting additional college building...
1722Government
In 1722, Williamsburg was granted a royal charter as a "city incorporate", which is now believed to be the oldest charter in the United States.
1728Government
(1728/29–1780) – Supreme Court of Virginia justice
Wilson Cary Nicholas (1761–1820) – governor, senator, and representative of Virginia
Edmund Randolph (1753–1813) – Founding Fa...
1732History
(1732–1800) – Founding Father and Supreme Court justice
Lemuel J.
1736Culture
The Gazette is a biweekly, published in Williamsburg, and was the first newspaper to be published south of the Potomac River, starting in 1736.
1750Culture
After his death in 1750, Parks's shop foreman William Hunter restarted the paper in 1751.
1770Government
Known in modern times as Eastern State Hospital, it was established by Act of the Virginia colonial legislature on June 4, 1770.
1771Government
In 1771, Lord Dunmore, who was Virginia's last Royal Governor, announced plans to connect Archer's Creek, which leads to the James River, with Queen's Creek, leading to the York...
1775History
The Gunpowder Incident began in April 1775 as a dispute between Dunmore and Virginia colonists over gunpowder stored in the Williamsburg magazine.
1776History
=== 18th century ===
For almost a century after the 1776 formation both of the Commonwealth of Virginia and of the United States, despite practical complications, the town remai...
1780Military
During the war, Virginia's capital was moved again, in 1780, this time to Richmond at the urging of then-Governor Thomas Jefferson, who feared Williamsburg's location made it vu...
1801Culture
Nicholas (1801–1854) – member of the New York Senate
Robert Carter Nicholas Sr.
1815History
Bowden (1815–1864) – senator for Virginia
Al Clark (b.
1861Military
At the outset of the American Civil War (1861–1865), enlistments in the Confederate Army depleted the College of William & Mary's student body and on May 10, 1861, the faculty v...
1862Military
The College Building served as a Confederate barracks and later as a hospital before being burned by Union forces in 1862.
1865Infrastructure
Williamsburg underwent much damage during the Union occupation, which lasted until September 1865.
1870History
In 1870, the Virginia General Assembly changed the boundaries so that it was entirely within James City County.
1882Military
Due in no small part to President Ewell's efforts, education continued at the College of William & Mary, although teaching was temporarily suspended for financial reasons from 1...
1884Government
Williamsburg subsequently incorporated as a city in 1884 and separated from James City County, but continues to share several constitutional officers with James City County.
1894Education
Ewell remained in Williamsburg as President Emeritus of the college until his death in 1894.
1905Military
Storke (1905–1985) – US Army lieutenant general
Lawrence Taylor (b.
1907History
This he had accomplished by 1907, in time for the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Episcopal Church in Virginia.
1908Infrastructure
1908 C&O Railway combination passenger and freight station at Norge was preserved and, with a donation from CSX Transportation, relocated in 2006 to a site at the Williamsburg R...
1912Government
On June 26, 1912, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published an editorial that dubbed Williamsburg "Lotusburg," for "Tuesday was election day in Williamsburg but nobody remembered it.
1923Architecture
But upon returning to Williamsburg in 1923 after serving a number of years in upstate New York, he realized that many of the other remaining colonial-era buildings were also in ...
1932Education
In 1932, a Catholic church was built to minister to students at the College of William & Mary.
1942Education
1942) – president of Fisk University
Harry P.
1945History
A 350-acre lake holding 1.5 billion gallons of water, it has been in operation since 1945.
1948Infrastructure
Between 1948 and 1988, it supported a Democratic presidential nominee only once, in Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide victory over Republican Barry Goldwater.
1951History
With a period of record dating only back to 1951, extreme temperatures range from −7 °F (−22 °C) on January 21, 1985, to 104 °F (40 °C) on August 22, 1983, and June 26, 1952.
1954History
1954) – singer and pianist
Keith Hornsby (b.
1955History
1955) – singer for The Statler Brothers
Bruce Hornsby (b.
1957History
She had previously visited Williamsburg in 1957.
1959Sports
1959) – National Football League (NFL) player
Georgia O'Keeffe (1887–1986) – painter and draftswoman
Canaan Smith (b.
1983History
The 9th G7 summit took place in Williamsburg in 1983.
1990History
1990) – soccer player
David Berman (1967–2019) – singer-songwriter, poet, and founder of Silver Jews
John Blair Jr.
1992Architecture
The city is also increasingly bicycle-friendly, having built 48 miles of bicycle facilities in the area since 1992.
1998History
Until 1998, the city had its own Sheriff's Office.
2000History
Bush secured a very narrow plurality in 2000.
2004Sports
Democrat John Kerry won the city by a single-digit margin over Bush in 2004.
2005Culture
The celebration began in part in 2005 with events leading up to the anniversary, and was celebrated statewide throughout 2007, though the official festivities took place during ...
2006Infrastructure
Walking is a major mode of transportation in Williamsburg, with approximately one-fifth of people walking to work between 2006 and 2010.
2007History
=== 21st century ===
On May 3, 2007, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II visited Jamestown and Williamsburg.
2008Government
Democrat Barack Obama swept Williamsburg by 29-point margins in both the 2008 and 2012 elections.
2009History
On February 5, 2009, President Barack Obama took his first trip aboard Air Force One to a House Democrats retreat in the city to attend and address their "Issues Conference".
2010History
=== 2010 census ===
As of the 2010 census, there were 14,068 people, 3,619 households, and 1,787 families residing in the city.
2013History
A second outlet mall, Williamsburg Outlet Mall, closed in December 2013.
2016Government
In the 2016 election, Democrat Hillary Clinton beat Republican Donald Trump in Williamsburg by 45 points.
2020Infrastructure
The 2020 census indicated a dramatic demographic shift in the city, reporting that Williamsburg was 49.1% White and 36.9% Black.
2022History
As of 2022, Colonial Williamsburg is Virginia's largest tourist attraction by attendance and the cornerstone of the Historic Triangle, with Jamestown and Yorktown joined by the ...
2024Sports
Kamala Harris won over 71% of the vote in 2024.