Evening star., 1932-09-11
RALEIGH TAVERN
OPEN NEXT FRIDAY
Restored Williamsburg, Va,
Building Faithfully Follows
Original Structure.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
WILLIAMSBURG, Va, September TO-
Raleigh Tavern, in the decade preced-
ing the Revolution best known of all
taverns here when Williamsburg was the
Colonial Capital of Virginia, has been
restored to its eighteenth and nine
teenth century appearance and will be
opened to the public next Friday.
The tavern, where Thomas Jefferson
danced with "the fair Belinda" Gre
becca Burwell of Carriers Grove and
George Washington was often guest
while q member of the House of Bur
geSses, is the first exhibition building
completed for public inspection since
the restoration of Colonial Williams
burg was undertaken more than four
years ago by John D. Rockefeller, 1r.
Authenticity Of the restored tavern,
as of other projects in the restoration
program, is supported by expert re-
search in this country, England and
France, which has cost $4,000 year.
The tavern clone cost 5000 900 to bring
back as an accurate scene from early
American life. Toward an accurate
chapter Of history-old homes, formal
gardens, the old Capitol and Governors
palace and other manifestations OF
early culture-Mr. Rockefeller already
has expended more than $8,O0O,00O.
Bust Of Raleigh Placed.
Over the front entrance of the tavern,
on Duke of Gloucester street. new
leaden bust Of Sir Walter Raleigh has
been placed. The patrcn occupies the
position where the original bust stood.
It has a stone base with the Eliza
bethan's name spelled Raleigh" as
copied from the original base now on
exhibition in the Powder Horn here.
The building was constructed prior to
174S and was destroyed by fire in 1889.
The style of architecture is the Virginia
ridewater version of American Georgian,
often described as Colonial" 1t is an
l. shaped structure built Of wood
"weatherboarGed' and Is one story and
half high.
The first floor contains the usual pub
lie rooms of a first-claSS eighteenth
century American tavern with modern
service extension at the rear. On the
second floor, which is lighted by dor
mer windows, are bed rooms and suites.
Both in plan and exterior design the
restored tavern is replica of the orig
inal, stands on the same site and has
included in 1t some of the original
foundations.
Best known Of all the rooms in the
original Raleigh was the Apollo, named
for a room by that name in Devil Tav-
ern in London, favorite meeting place
of Ben johnson, Sir Walter Raleigh
and their friends.
Motto Over Fireplace.
Over the fireplace, is the motto Of the
tavern. carved in gilt letters above the
mantel: "Hilaritas sapientiae ct bonae
vitae probes the offspring OF
wisdom and good living.
old
q ,-rser of stirring meetings OF pa
trioas. When the Colonial Governors
dissolved the House Of Burgesses those
worthless straightway repaired to the
Apollo room for voluntary conven-
tions" and functioned for such reyo-
lutionary actions as denouncing acts OF
Parliament that suggested trying |
Americans for treason in Great Britain
and closing the port Of Boston.
To the left Of the entrance is a
gaming room called 'ye one and ye
four" To its left is the tap room, /
equipped with restorations of tankards
mighty enough to conform to the stout |
est Anglo-Saxon drinking traditions.
Score of Liquor Shops.
This tap room was not the only place !
an early statesman might wet his
whistle; for within four blocks of the |
House OF buTgeSSeS were 81 buCu D1lSHt |
spots in the lives of Colonial patriots
Proprietors of the tavern left detailed !
inventories Of what they had. The fur
nishings are both antique and repro
duction objects. Wedgwood queens
ware and silver have been exactly dupli- |
Gated from fragments and a 1742 tea
spoon unearthed from the old founda-
tionS.
These will be used when, about two |
years from now, the present restoration |
plans are completed and the tavern will |
actually become an inn again. |
In the whole project thus far are 48 !
restored buildings, "a new ones and Is |
under construction About 300 were |
razed and IA were moved. Landscaping |
has included 100000 worth of box
woods.
Copyright, 1892, By North American News |
paper Alliance, Inc)