Colonial Christmas at Williamsburg & the James River Plantations

Program Registration: After you have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Program-related travel will be by bus unless noted otherwise. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful, rewarding, and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At the hotel.

A local expert will join us for a presentation introducing Williamsburg, Colonial Williamsburg, and the history of Virginia's second capital. We’ll learn about the town’s history from its beginnings when the colonial capital moved from Jamestown to Middle Plantation. Following its growth through the 18th century to its height during the Revolution, we’ll then trace its decline with the removal of the capital to Richmond, leaving little more than the College and the hospital for the insane. Finally, we’ll gain an appreciation for its phoenix-like rise in the early 20th century thanks to vision of a local minister and the generosity of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., resulting in today’s treasure of colonial American interpretation. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At the hotel.

With a local expert, we’ll take a more personal look at Yuletide across time by considering the words of people living in Williamsburg during three centuries. We’ll also have an opportunity to share our own family traditions, inherited or newly begun. This look at holiday observances will help tie the old to the new, bringing a deeper and richer meaning to our own holiday observances. Next we’ll be joined by a local expert to learn about Christmas during Civil War times. In the midst of the terrible Civil War, families continued to honor their traditions as best they could. At the same time, soldiers in the field made some attempt to remember the season even as they wrote home of loneliness and hardship. Our expert will guide us through the efforts made to maintain some measure of holiday normalcy despite shortages and missing family members. We’ll also examine the similarities of mid-19th-century customs with those of today. We’ll next walk to Colonial Williamsburg from the hotel, then walk the length of historic Duke of Gloucester Street in the company of a local expert. We’ll focus on the homes, shops, and public buildings while, at the same time, investigate the remarkable decorations that adorn those buildings. Our expert will describe historical local events and the roles of average townspeople while also teaching us about the materials and techniques used to create the wreaths and sprays.

At a restaurant in downtown Williamsburg.

Next, we’ll walk to Bruton Parish Church in the Restored Area for a private visit led by a local historian and church member. Our expert will outline the history of the church itself, along with the building's architecture and how it changed over the centuries. At the conclusion of our field trip, we’ll walk back to the hotel. Back at the hotel, we will again be joined by the church historian who will detail the importance of religion in the Colonial period. Her discussion will include the religious history of the time and various customs and celebrations of the gentry, the “middling class,” and enslaved populations. After, we will enjoy a holiday craft.

At the hotel.

This evening we will enjoy a concert featuring the renowned Master Scottish Fiddler David Gardner and his classically trained Scottish dancer daughter, Eliza Gardner. Combining live performances with engaging historical insights, they will explore the rich traditions of Scottish Highland dancing and fiddle music. David will showcase his expertise in traditional Scottish fiddle, while Eliza will perform precise and graceful Highland dances. Together, they will guide us through the history and cultural significance of these traditions, offering an educational and immersive experience.

At the hotel.

First, we'll board our motorcoach and reach the 1850s-era Lee Hall Mansion, with its unusual Italianate architecture, and experience a more ostentatious antebellum home. An experienced docent will show us the ladies’ and men’s parlors, along with the private family rooms upstairs. Moving on, we’ll continue our field trip to Endview Plantation, built in 1769 but more recently restored to its original appearance during the Civil War years. This small farmhouse stands in sharp contrast to the typical picture of an American plantation, though its owner was one of the wealthiest farmers in the county.Both Endview and Lee Hall Mansion will be decorated for the holidays in mid-19th century style. Our motor coach will then return us to the hotel.

At the Art Museum of Colonial Williamsburg

Having now seen and learned about holiday decorations in a variety of settings, we will have an opportunity to visit the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. We will walk to the nearby DeWitt-Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. These two wonderful museums feature Colonial Williamsburg's extensive collection of 18th century furnishings and objects of daily living along with an incredible collection of American folk art. We will begin with a brief docent led overview of the museums, before moving on to our workshop where we will create a memorable holiday ornament. Continuing our town exploration, we will proceed to the historic Wren Building on the campus of the College of William and Mary to attend a concert of colonial and Christmas music performed on the chapel’s 18th century pipe organ, one of the four oldest pipe organs in the U.S. We’ll have a unique opportunity to learn about the instrument from our organist, a talented musician from the staff of the Music Department of the College.

At the hotel.

After dinner, the Grand Illumination fireworks will be set off at the Governor's Palace. View them from The Williamsburg Lodge or head into the Historic Area for a closer look.

At the hotel.

We’ll walk again to the Restored Area for a field trip to the ornate Governor's Palace, a recreation of the residence built in 1706 and was home to seven royal governors, and later, two elected Virginia governors after the Revolution. A cornerstone of Colonial Williamsburg, the Palace was reconstructed on the original foundation using Thomas Jefferson's plans for renovation before its destruction in a fire following the Siege of Yorktown. The remainder of the day is yours to explore the Historic Area. You might like to build on the overview of the Area we enjoyed yesterday, interact with interpreters in colonial dress, visit some of the public buildings, and perhaps sample a gingerbread cookie and hot cider along the way.

At Leisure. You can use this time to reserve a lunch at a local colonial restaurant such as Christiana Campbell's Tavern or King's Arm Tavern. Reservations are required and recommended far in advance. Outside of the Historic District, there are numerous delicious and locally owned eateries.

At Leisure. Be sure to check out the Colonial Williamsburg website guide for an up-to-date schedule of events happening throughout the Historic District.

At the hotel.

In our hotel classroom, we’ll delight in the wonderful tales and music of a talented entertainer as she takes us on a journey across the years through the eyes of African-Americans, slave and free, as they celebrate Yuletide in Virginia. This engaging performance provides the perspective of the slave and free black families who combined their ancient African traditions with the customs of their masters.

At the hotel.

We’ll begin our day with a field trip via motorcoach to Shirley, first of the James River plantations, dating to 1613. Here we’ll see original furnishings and portraits from the 18th century owners whose descendants, remarkably, still occupy the home. Next, we’ll travel to Berkeley, the “most historic” of the great river plantations. This is the ancestral home of the Harrisons, who boast a signer of the Declaration of Independence and two presidents among their descendants. We’ll explore this 1726 Georgian mansion with a knowledgeable docent, then have some time to stroll along the extensive grounds on our own. Both of the homes will be decorated for the holiday season and traditionally serve holiday snacks and cookies. We’ll have time at both sites for individual exploration.

At a local restaurant.

After lunch, we'll return to the hotel for an engaging performance about the Christmas story of an enslaved woman name Lydia, who later is known as Lydia Broadnax. She was a cook born in Hampton, then moved to Williamsburg and then lived and died in Richmond, VA. She was owned by the scholar, signer of the Declaration of Independence and respected teacher of Thomas Jefferson and John Marshall, named George Wythe. Lydia will recount her life at Christmas times in these three cities in which she lived and as both an enslaved and free person, how her community of a mixture of free and enslaved African Americans and Jewish Americans observed Habakkuk.

At a colonial tavern. In the colonial era, public houses were gathering places for residents and travelers. Though this building has been reconstructed, the atmosphere — though not the contemporary menu — is similar to what patrons such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry would have known.

Returning to the hotel, we’ll delight in the talents of a local musician. We’ll end our observance of traditional Christmas celebrations together with an appropriate “wassail” toast of hot cider. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel.

For our final morning together we will be honored with a visit from a colonial lady, Elizabeth Randolph, as she reminisces about Yuletides past. She will describe colonial Christmas traditions in Williamsburg and what it was like to run a household during the holiday season. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!