That the Future May Learn from the Past: The First 100 Years of Colonial Williamsburg
2026 marks not only the 250th anniversary of America but the 100th anniversary of Colonial Williamsburg. A new book, That the Future May Learn from the Past, chronicles how Colonial Williamsburg has presented the nation’s founding history over the last century. Initially focused on architecture and design, those presentations grew to include patriotic lessons about the nation’s Founders, and ultimately, to reflect a far more nuanced and comprehensive history. Along the way, Colonial Williamsburg’s historians, architectural historians, archaeologists, curators, conservators and even moviemakers have transformed their fields—and the way we look at American history.
Sneak Peek
Want a sneak peak into the pages of That the Future May Learn from the Past? Explore these moments from Colonial Williamsburg's history, and order your now to get the full story.
The Motto
John D. Rockefeller Jr. chose Colonial Williamsburg’s motto -- “That the Future may learn from the past.” Here are some of the runners-up he rejected: Let the present learn from the past. Let the past teach us. Let the past speak. Preserve the past for the future.
Henry Ford
Before John D. Rockefeller Jr agreed to fund the restoration of Williamsburg, W. A. R. Goodwin approached others, including Henry Ford. Goodwin wrote Ford saying he was “the chief contributor to the destruction of this city,” because “garages and gas tanks are fast spoiling the whole appearance of the old streets and the old city, and most of the cars which stop at the garages and gas tanks are Ford Cars!” Ford’s office sent a short reply saying he was not interested.
Chief Architect
William Perry, who became the chief architect of Williamsburg’s restoration, was not the first choice. W. A. R. Goodwin’s first choice would have been J. Stewart Barney, who had worked with him on the restoration of Bruton Parish Church, but Barney died in 1925. His second choice was a distinguished Chicago architect, Thomas Tallmadge, but Tallmadge was busy working on a textbook. So Goodwin turned to Perry, a Boston architect who had visited Williamsburg in 1926 and who had met Goodwin at the home of George Wythe.
The Investment
John D. Rockefeller Jr. originally estimated the restoration of Williamsburg would cost about $5 million. He would eventually spend about $68 million of his own money on Williamsburg, and other family members would contribute about $25 million more.
“David’s father”
John D. Rockefeller Jr. feared that if Williamsburg’s property owners realized he was bankrolling the project, they would demand exorbitant prices, so he and W. A. R. Goodwin used the code name “David’s father.” Rockefeller’s youngest son was named David. Vernon Geddy, a local attorney who handled the property purchases, heard Goodwin refer to Rockefeller as “Mr. D,” and sent Goodwin a note suggesting all sorts of D names, among them the comic strip character Dinty Moore, the boxer Jack Dempsey, and the lawyer Clarence Darrow. Geddy suspected it was Rockefeller, and he ended his note with “Dammit, I can’t think of any D except John D.”
New Courthouse & Jail
In return for permission to restore Williamsburg’s old courthouse, John D. Rockefeller Jr. agreed to build a new courthouse and jail. One citizen asked why the town needed a new jail. The local judge answered that the old jail depended on an honor system to hold prisoners, noting that “one man, who was in for twenty years, walked out, leaving a note to say that he would be back.”
Christmas Traditions
Arthur Shurcliff, Williamsburg’s landscape architect, had an impact on not only the town’s gardens but its Christmas decorations. He suggested putting a candle in each window of restored and reconstructed buildings. This became a popular tradition in Williamsburg and spread throughout the country. There was some colonial precedent for lighting candles, though for occasions that had nothing to do with Christmas, like the arrival of a royal governor.
Lost in the Maze
In 1943, during World War II, the British high command met with their counterparts in Washington and took a break by visiting Williamsburg. A report by a Foundation executive noted that one British Admiral, after entering the tall boxwood maze behind the Governor’s Palace, found himself “as easily confused as landlubbers.” The admiral called out for help, but his rescuers got lost too. They were eventually guided out by a Colonial Williamsburg staff member.
Souvenirs from the Blacksmiths
Colonial Williamsburg’s blacksmiths once made souvenir horseshoes. When the practice was discontinued because it wasn’t historically accurate, many visitors were disappointed. Edward Alexander, who became Colonial Williamsburg’s director of interpretation, remembered one woman saying, “I have my little pony shoe up in my bedroom. . . . You shouldn’t deprive kids of that.”
Foreign Dignitary Visitors
Foreign dignitaries frequently visited Williamsburg, sometimes necessitating unusual security measures, After the Secret Service received word that an attack was planned on Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako of Japan, the interior of the horse-drawn carriage that would carry them around town was lined with steel plates.
