Discover our Williamsburg Hotel's Rich History

At the Crowne Plaza Williamsburg hotel, we invite you to step back in time to the historically-rich city of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. The area now known as Williamsburg, VA was settled in 1632 as Middle Plantation. In the 1690’s Reverend James Blair established the first school of higher education in Williamsburg and named it the College of William and Mary in honor of the British monarchs of the time. In 1699, after the burnings at Jamestown, the colonial capital was permanently moved to Middle Plantation and was then renamed Williamsburg in honor of King William III of England. In 1722, Williamsburg was granted a royal charter as a city and is now believed to be the oldest city in the U.S. During the 1860’s, in preparation for the Civil War, Brigadier general John B. Magruder helped build Fort Magruder, which played a considerable role in the Battle of Williamsburg as well as the Civil War as a whole. After the war, the town slowed and a large portion of the population declined but was soon revived with the arrival of the railroad in 1880.

In the mid 1920’s, Episcopalian priest, Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin began rebuilding the historic Episcopalian Church in Virginia in the colonial-era style. He began to notice other colonial buildings which still remained, but were in bad condition. To reconstruct the area, he enlisted the help of one of the most powerful men of the time, John D. Rockefeller Jr. The two men restored as much of Colonial Williamsburg, VA as possible, creating a 301-acre Historic Area to celebrate the early history of America, intriguing visitors with Colonial Williamsburg history.

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is Virginia’s largest tourist attraction based upon attendance. This city is an example of an open-air living history presentation, a Williamsburg museum complete with historical re-enactors who work, dress, and speak as they did during colonial times. Visitors will discover American Revolutionary War history exhibits, the impressive Capital building, and the stately Governor’s Palace among numerous historic sights. Presently, Williamsburg is the centerpiece of the Historic Triangle of Virginia, which includes Jamestown and Yorktown. The Crowne Plaza Williamsburg at Fort Magruder not only offers luxurious Virginia accommodations near many popular historical sights, it is a significant tourist attraction in itself, boasting a unique location as a former Civil War battleground.