Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

GOVERNOR'S HOUSE - GOVERNOR'S PALACE
January 19, 1932.

The early references to the building are to a "House for the Governour" or the "Governour's House". These appear in the acts and accounts. After 1752 the word "Palace" is used in the Virginia Gazettes and ether records far more often than the word "House" although the latter term also remained in use.

In 1723 Hugh Jones called the building "The Palace, or Governour's House". [Only use of term Palace in records before 1752) After 1752 the Virginia Gazette always referred to the "Palace" although the governor and others quite frequently used the word "House" in addition to the word "Palace".

GOVERNOR'S PALACE - ROOMS UPSTAIRS
July 22, 1931

After an examination of the research data on the Governor's Palace taken from the " Botetourt Papers", "The Governor's Palace", "The Capitol" and "Data from the Public Record Office", the research department has made the following deductions. These deductions may or may not be correct and as another interpretation of this same data is quite possible, it is suggested that the original material be consulted and checked against these deductions by any one using them:

• 1.His Lordship's Bed Chamber (had a garrett room over).
• 2.Library (had a fireplace).
• 3.Chamber over dining room (bedroom, had a closet and fireplace.)
• 4.Chamber over front parlor (bedroom, had a fireplace:)
• 5.Middle Room (had a fireplace.)
• 6.Passage upstairs (had a closet.)
• 7.Room over study to bed-chamber); car the study itself with a garrett bed-room above.

For reference to the text from which this deduction was made, consult the index to the four mentioned books under GOVERNOR'S PALACE - Architectural features - rooms.

RECOMMENDATIONS of RESEARCH DEPARTMENT
FOR PALACE
October 30, 1931.

• 1 The Palace building proper should have twenty-five rooms, exclusive of closets, store rooms and stairs.
• 2 The closets should be about ten in number and large enough to accommodate a great quantity of furniture and furnishings.
• 3 A pantry on the southwest side of the Palace of sufficient size to store the large quantity of silver plate, pewter, china, glass, cooking utensils and other furniture and furnishings mentioned in the Botetourt Papers.
• 4 A kitchen not in an office but in the building shown on the Frenchman's Map west of the western office; with an adjacent kitchen garden.
• 5 A bannio or bath house in a small separate outbuilding.
• 6 If any of the outbuildings listed in the separate report on Palace Outbuildings are not to be built, we recommend the omission of the charcoal house and coal house as these were large buildings dating after 1768.
• 7 A covered way should be built from the offices to the Palace.
• 8 Hardware: of brass, iron and wood, consistent with the tone of the furnishings and lighting fixtures as indicated in the Palace books.
• 9 Roof to be shingled with slate shingles.
• 10 Lighting fixtures should be of several distinct periods, the standing lighting fixtures included in the building in 1720 and those supplied by later governors.
• 11 Floor in the "Great Hall": Full archaeological confirmation of a marble floor should be obtained since there is no historical data to substantiate it.
• 12 Interior finish: paint colors according to records where known; whitewash where indicated; wall paper as indicated; remaining rooms to be determined by study of the color of furniture and furnishings in various inventories; garret rooms to be very simple and to be finished in whitewash wherever possible.
• 13 Landscaping: An avenue 4f catalpa trees should be considered for Palace street. In addition to flag and brick walks there should be a number of oyster shell paths for which there is extensive evidence. Landscaping schedule to be checked against any existing records. Brick walls, fences, 2 palings and "ditches and fences" to correspond to known data on their locations.
• 14 If a library is to be included in the Palace furnishings, one of the governor's catalogues should be used as a guide in selecting volumes