New Britain herald., 1930-01-04

Williamsburg, Na., Jan. 1 - This sleepy, old-fashioned, respectfully shabby colonial town is staging boom, ghost boom, if you will. that is making the other towns of the Old Dominion rub their eyes and wonder ii they are dreaming or really seeing things
 For Williamsburg. snubbcd by Rotary clubs, high halted by prog ress, and allowed 10 run down at the heel because no one considered it important enough 10 rebuild, now finds that it's dilapidated build ings and tne grandfathcr's clocks that won't run are worth more than factories and skysCrapers. and that there's something in having had q part as we'll as having Il future.
 oh yes, there's money in tradi- ton, but it takes money to exploit it. and that is where Williamsburg has the breaks. For back of the restoration of Williamsburg arc the millions of John D. Rockefeller Jr.. flowing freely at the direction of Dr. W. A. l.. Goodwin. who is pastor of tho Bruton Parish church, oldest church in the country.
 It's Famed in History
 Ever since he came 10 the town in 1902. Dr. Goodwin has realized the historical importance and the traditional wealth of the town and has felt it should be perpetuated, and it was he who interested Eockc- feller in the plan.
 When they started 10 restore the town, it was thought that $5,0OO.- 0o0 ought to do the job, since fine old places then were available at almost any amount of cash in hand Many had deterioratcd into quar- ters for negro cooks and gardeners And S5,000,000 might have been enough. had not the town, at this point awakened from it's sIumbors and shown some up-to-date Amer- can business spirit.
 Just as soon as the news was spread that Rockefeller was restor- ing the town, the inevitable hap pencd-real estate prices doubled, tripled and skyrockcted like Florida values Immediately before the slump. Property that had not al ready been quietly acquired by Rockefellers agents climbed to ridiculous prices.
 TimeS-and NaIucs-Changc
 Some of them now, simply cant be bought at any price.
 One old house. purchased by toWnsman for S1O0 and glad get if. now is resisting an S1S,GOO bid, Another that brought s2,5Oo q few years aSo-with the Colonial fur nlture and the garden thrown in recently was resold for S3O.000 and then held for an investment. Cor ner lots are being held for as high as S200. .OOO.
 The town is rich in history. as well as good fortune. During the seven t""nth and eighteenth centuries it was the capital of the state. Here Patrick Henry burned em LID with his oratory. Here is the Burwell home where Thomas Jefferson, then a prep school boy at William and Mary college, used to come court ing. Here George Washington had his headquarters during the Revolu ton. Here is<a collection of "old- est in America" building that is prlcoless-and becoming more so.
 Town to Be Rebuilt
 The restoration of the town into a national shrine involves practi- cally it's complete rebuilding. and entails work of great magnitude and expense. It is now two years since the first crew of architects and builders moved in to start the work, and at present only twelve of the old houses are actually rejuvenatcd.
 In addition to the first $5.OOO.- poo, it is estimated by some of the optimistic toWnsfollI that at least s25, ,ooO.oO0 more must be put into the project, which is assuming greater proportions daily. And they say that at least eight years more will be necessary to buy and plan and rebuild. If these figures were not sufficient to mike Williams burgers realize their new impor-