present name in honor of the King, and sprang immediately into prominence as the Capitol of Colonial Virginia. The streets looked back to old England for their names, or took them from the inherent vanity of man; the main thoroughfare running from the College to the Capitol being named by Sir Francis Nicholson for the Duke of Gloucester, and the two streets parallel, being named Francis and Nicholson, for the Governor himself.
The Palace
To the east of the church lies the Palace Green, at the head of which stood, until just after the Revolution, the Palace of the Governor, built at a cost of three thousand pounds sterling. This was a "magnificent structure built at the public expense, finished and beautified with gates, fine gardens, offices, walks, and a canal, and orchard embracing in all 370 acres, bordered with lindens brought from Scotland."[1]
Facing the Green may be seen to-day the home of Chancellor Wythe, which adjoins the Parish churchyard, and further down, on the same side, the white columned house used for awhile as the residence of Governor Dinwiddie, while just across from this is the home of Audrey, of fiction, and nearby, on the same side of the Green, was the colonial theatre, where, "by permission of His Excellency, the Governor," many hours were spent by the Virginians of other days in enjoying the transported London plays.
The Governors were associated in many ways with Bruton Parish Church. Francis Nicholson and the Parish Vestry were in constant and often unpleasant contact, each being jealous of the power claimed and exercised by the other.
Governor Spotswood furnished the plans for the present church building, and largely supervised its erection, providing for himself and the members of his Council a canopied pew, around which his name was written in letters of gold.
- ↑ See "Colonial Capitols of Virginia," page 63. Miss Mary L. Foster.
