Williamsburg, VA
1619 (at Jamestown) to 1769

The Capitol, or the House of Burgesses, adopted English Common Law as the Virginia Company of London organized their new colony in Jamestown. By 1624, the charter was lost and replaced as a Royal Colony. Greatly limited in establishing a course of action, there were notables such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry, each a member of the assembly.

Middle Plantation was settled in 1638. In 1699, following fires at Jamestown, Middle Plantation was made the Capital of the Colony and renamed for King William III: Williamsburg. 

During the Revolutionary War, Richmond was made Federal Virginia capital and Williamsburg was wholly abandoned to the British by Governor Thomas Jefferson. The U.S. Civil War saw military action several times in the Williamsburg area.  In 1881, the C & O Railroad laid tracks down the middle of the former main street, Duke of Gloucester.

The Capitol was built in 1705 and burned in 1747, then was rebuilt. Following the Battle of Yorktown, the structure fell into disuse and was dismantled for its materials. Standard Oil and John D Rockefeller provided the majority of funding for the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg commencing in 1926. The lead architects for the restoration were Perry, Shaw and Hepburn. The Capitol had not survived into the 20th century and was recreated from written descriptions on the original site.