The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1957-07-26
History Springs To Life Az Jan,estotun
Where Old and Nelu Worlds Net III 1907
BY H. v. Lancaster, Jr.


and the college classroom. but
Virginia is doing her best to dis
pell this notion. Celebrating tile
350th anniversary of the founding
of the first permanent English
settlement in the New World at
jamestown, the Old Dominion lis
making history live for multitudes
of visitors during the jamestown
Festival. which lasts from April
through November 30, 1857.
The focal point of the celebra-
ton is perhaps the jamestown
Festival Park located about a
mile from jamestown Island, the
site of the original settlement
The Park, built at the cost of APP
proximately Sl,600,000. contains
the Old and New World Pavilions,
sponsored by the British GOVERN
ment and Virginia respectively.
Using the theme "Old World
Heritage" the British exhibits, ia
Guiding a copy of the famed Mag !
ma Carta, show how Anglo Saxon
ideals and customs have influ-
enced the development of Ameri-
can institutions.
The Virginia exhibits, entitled
New World Achievement, por-
tray Virginia's history with life
size models Of the states out
standing leaders. One of the ex-
hibits, "Virginia-The Mother Of
Presidents tells Of the eight men
from Virginia who have held the
nations highest office.
Not far from the Old and New
World Pavilions and the adjoin-
ing buildings which house res
taurant, gift shop. and other mod
ern tourist facilities is a replica
Of the original fort at jamestown.
Here the visitor can see small mud
huts similar to those erected by
the first settlers. The matched
roofs provide one explanation of
why fire was such real and con-
slant threat in early James Towne
lthe original English spelling) J.
The fort is garrisoned by troops
wearing authenic 18th century
costumes.
Tied to a wharf on the James
River below the fort are replicas
Of the three ships. the Susan Con-
slant, Godspeed Cor Goodspeed)
and Discovery. which brought the
first colonists to Virginia.
For many, the smallness of
these ships is the most startling
revelation of this jaunt into jiae
past. Twentieth century AmeYi-
cans find it difficult to believe
that ships such as these could
have made the long and perileus
voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.
jamestown Island /
On jamestown Island, where
the settlers first landed on May
10. 1907, the visitor will find she
photographed old church
tower, the only remains Of the
first brick church built in 1882
Here also are large wooden cross
marking the graves of some. 10
colonists who died before 1915.
statues Of Pocahontas and Capt
John Smith, the ruins of the third
and fourth Statehouses WHARF
Americas first representative As-
sembly, the Virginia House .of
BurgeseS, met to discuss affairs of
state. and the tomb of the> Rev.
James Blair who founded thelna-
TONS second oldest institution Of
higher learning. the College Of
William and Mary, in 1893.
Owned jointly by the NATIONAL
Park Service and the Association
for the Preservation of Virginia
Antiquities, jamestown Island Is
now park with a s425, 900 visit
ors center and a new scenic route,
the wilderness trail, through the
forest and swamp which cover
much OF the island. -t
Glass-enclosed paintings depict
ing life in early jamestown have
been erected along this trail. Park
service psychologists. have un-
earthed 1870 foundations which re-
veal the center of jamestown
from 1923 on, These include the
ruins of the first statehouse
which was used from l641 to 1852.
Williamsburg 4.
Williamsburg, the capital Of the
Old Dominion from 1899 to 1880,
is another feature attraction dur
ing the Jamestown Festival 1t
was here that Virginia issued her
own declaration of independence
from Great Britain weeks before
the Second Continental Congress
took action. and it was here on
June IL, l7T6. that the House Of
Burgesses adopted George LIa-
sons famed Declaration of Rights,
still an integral part Of the Con
stitutiOn of Virginia.
In addition to being the scene
of political debates and govern
mental activities. williamsburg
was the social and cultural center
of 18th century Virginia. In 1926
the late DR.. W. A. r. Goodwin,
rector of Bruton Parish Church
in Williamsburg, persuaded John
D. Rockefeller. Jr,, to restore the
city to its colonial grace and
charm. n
Today. after 81 years and an