Early on a Saturday morning, before the Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area comes to life, you can take a walk down Duke of Gloucester Street, not only to absorb the beauty of the old town but also its vibes. This is, after all, a place that was well known to our Founders, larger-than-life men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. They, too, walked along Duke of Gloucester Street. They attended church here, dined in the taverns, danced at the balls and secretly plotted a revolution. Some of that energy remains and there are moments, as you stroll along this wide and pleasant street, when it seems to envelope you like a soft cloak. 

Anchored by the College of William & Mary at one end and the Capitol building at the other, Duke of Gloucester Street is nearly a mile long. If you are staying at the Williamsburg Inn or the Williamsburg Lodge, you’re on the edge of the Historic Area. You can step effortlessly into the 18^th century just a few yards west of Bruton Parish Church. I recommend wandering through the churchyard there, beneath the shade of very old magnolias, and enjoy reading the inscriptions on the weather-roughened headstones. Some of the table tombs you see were imported from England.

You can exit the churchyard by the east gate, cut across Palace Green, the well-manicured approach to the handsome Governor’s Palace at the far end, and head toward Market Square. In this open, grassy area, 18^th-century vendors once hawked their wares. While housewives and kitchen slaves moved among the makeshift stalls to purchase local produce, fish and fowl, men would haggle over the livestock for sale.

Now, more than 200 years later, modern-day shoppers will soon gather around covered market stands built in this same open space next to the Magazine, a hexagonal brick building where arms were stored in the 18^th century, and across from the courthouse, which was built in 1770 and used for more than 150 years. In colonial times, the county court had significant judicial authority. Here the locals could see all sorts of miscreants from card cheaters to pig stealers and be present to hear their cases. Those convicted of crimes usually faced immediate punishment, which might involve a public flogging or spending time in the stocks, which one can still see—and use—next to the courthouse steps.

As you walk away from the market stalls, you might hear the creak of wooden wheels. You turn to see a costumed interpreter pushing a heavy cart, the sleeves of his blousy cotton shirt rolled up to the elbows. Already in character, he will nod to you as he crosses Duke of Gloucester Street. “Good day,” he will say, and you will find yourself murmuring a reply as he wheels his goods toward the stalls.

Continuing your stroll, you will wander into what colonials called the “downtown” area made up of the specialty stores and taverns located between Market Square and the Capitol. As you near Chowning’s Tavern, you might be passed by an early-morning jogger wearing a W&M tee-shirt, then perhaps a biker or an elderly couple on dog-walking duty. Soon proprietors will appear on the street. They’ll put out flags, indicating that their establishments are open for business, and visitors will be able to deepen their foray into colonial times by visiting shops like the milliner’s and the silversmith’s, and browse through establishments such as the Prentis Store, the Printing Office, and the wigmaker’s.

Because the visitors haven’t yet arrived to crowd your way, you can focus your attention on the shady paths that beckon behind the gates in the street’s ubiquitous white picket fences. You can go almost anywhere you like outdoors in the Historic Area, including the walkways alongside buildings and the gardens behind otherwise private residences. 

On these little side trips, you will likely wonder who has walked this way before you. I once met a long-time resident of Williamsburg who mentioned that she enjoyed strolling through the Historic Area at twilight. In her beautiful southern accent, she said matter-of-factly, “I sometimes sense Mr. Jefferson’s presence as I walk.”

Her statement didn’t surprise me; you can’t go anywhere in Williamsburg without thinking of the men who founded our country. In the 1700s, this was a special place through which a number of very special people passed. 

As the hour grows closer to opening time, you will notice tourists getting off a motor coach as you approach the Capitol, once the center of Virginia politics, the building in which laws were made by the General Assembly. The flag has been put out there, and the group of 40 or so will be moving quickly toward the open gates, kids gabbling with excitement. 

The daily bustle in Colonial Williamsburg is beginning, and you may think it’s time to retrace your steps in search of a proper breakfast. But as you pass the Raleigh Tavern, you catch a whiff of freshly baked bread. On a whim, you open the gate at the edge of the public sidewalk and follow the brick path to the rear of the tavern where the bakery is located. No lines have formed yet, and you can buy a huge oatmeal cookie to eat on the way back to your hotel.

The bakery’s screen door bangs softly shut behind you as you return to Duke of Gloucester Street. In minutes you will cross back into the 21^st century, but a morning walk through the 18^th will leave you feeling energized. Perhaps once upon a time, as he strolled down this very street, Mr. Jefferson enjoyed a similar benefit.