Maintaining Colonial Williamsburg

Located in Virginia, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation immerses visitors in an 18th-century city. As the world’s largest U.S. history museum, Colonial Williamsburg maintains 700 buildings, from historic structures to modern administrative buildings.

To maintain Colonial Williamsburg’s 89 original 18th-century buildings and hundreds of reconstructions, the Building Trades team works behind the scenes, using modern and historic techniques to achieve an accurate representation of 18th-century Williamsburg.

Constant care is required to maintain these historic structures so they can remain for hundreds more years. This maintenance work is visible everywhere you look in the 301-acre open air museum: in buildings, paint, signs, gates, and even benches.

All the building exteriors in the Historic Area are inspected, repaired, and repainted by the Building Trades team every seven years. Here, the Capitol is outfitted with scaffolding so repairs can be made prior to painting. Necessary maintenance includes repairing damaged wood or fixing masonry, shown below.

Building interiors open to the public are also regularly inspected by teams from across Colonial Williamsburg, including Building Trades, Architectural Preservation, Mechanical Trades, and Preventive Conservation.

Here, they survey the interior of the Charlton Coffeehouse for any necessary repairs.

In the 18th century, Williamsburg’s built landscape would have been a dynamic mix of new, recently repaired, and aging materials. To achieve an accurate representation and preserve materials when making repairs today, the team fixes worn or damaged elements when possible.

For example, rather than making a new Palace gate, broken elements have been replaced, as shown here.

An artist hand paints the re-created historic signs in the Historic Area. When the signs start to show wear, they’re brought into the Sign Shop for cleaning, repainting, and touch-ups.

As part of the Bray School’s restoration, the Building Trades team worked on door frames and chair rails, and put up drywall and siding in an effort to accurately represent the 18th-century building while providing the best possible preservation.

The work extends beyond buildings. In 2024, Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Garden moved to a new location, placing it closer to the Historic Farming site and allowing for archaeological excavations at its former site. As part of the move, woodworkers and painters repaired and refreshed wooden grow boxes based on 18th-century examples.

They also play a key role celebrating Christmas, a beloved Colonial Williamsburg tradition. From painting to hanging decorations, they help turn Colonial Williamsburg into a holiday destination every year.

The work of maintaining Colonial Williamsburg’s historic buildings, 301 acres, and modern facilities is ongoing. Behind the scenes, the Building Trades team and their colleagues ensure these structures are carefully preserved so future generations can continue to learn from them.