The Governor's Palace at Colonial Williamsburg Art Print
A Museum Quality Art Print of The Governor's Palace at Colonial Williamsburg Virginia for sale by Brandywine General Store. This governors mansion was home to many balls and festive celebrations during its hey day. The Governor's birthday, or the day of his coming to power, the Queen's birthday, were all causes for celebrations, as was more solemn affairs such as Indians coming to sign treaties or the twelve days of Christmas. However, during the Revolutionary War such frivolities came to an end. When the city was recoiling from the removal of the gunpowder from the Magazine in 1775, Governor Dunmore had to summon 40 sailors to the Palace to protect him from angry citizens. On May 15, 1775 he commented that he had turned the palace into a garrison. On June 8, Dunmore fled the mansion under cover of darkness, never to return. The palace muskets and swords were all pulled from their decorative displays by a group of local men and were taken to the Powder Magazine and used in defending the colony from the British soldiers. Dunmore's personal slaves and private furniture were later sold at public auction. General Charles Lee of the Continental army made the Palace his headquarters until it became a hospital for wounded soldiers. When Patrick Henry was elected as Virginia's first governor under the rule of the United States, the structure was renovated for him to live and carry out his duties as Governor. Henry added new furnishings and the repairs cost 1,000 pounds, which was a lot of money for the new state to absorb so soon after the Revolution. Picture #391 an original archival historic print by Brandywine General Store.