Self-guided Sites
Powder Magazine
Temporarily closed for restoration. The Powder Magazine was constructed in 1715 as storage for the arms and ammunition dispatched from London for the defense of the colony. Just before the Revolution, it was the scene of a famous confrontation between Williamsburg residents and the royal governor, when his soldiers absconded with the colony's gunpowder. Check back for more information on the building reopening to the public.
Hours & Location
The Gunpowder Incident and the Collapse of Royal Government in Virginia
The drums were beating. The streets were pulsing. Early on the morning of April 21, 1775, Williamsburg’s residents spilled out from their homes looking for the cause of this commotion.
Everyone soon heard that Virginia Governor John Murray, the Fourth Earl of Dunmore, had seized the colony’s gunpowder supplies.
