Revolutionary, My Dear George!: Duke of Gloucester Street

Duke of Gloucester Street - view from the Capital Building

For many of us, the main street is the heart of a town. For Williamsburg, the Duke of Gloucester Street is that main street. Think of the town where you live. What is the name of that street? Take time to look up the origin of that street - where did it come from and where did the street get its name?

Heading West of Duke of Gloucester Street

The Duke of Gloucester Street is named after "his Highness William Duke of Gloucester" in 1699. Like many streets in the United States, it started as an Indian trace. In Chicago, Milwaukee Avenue also started out as an Indian trace (it's one of the few diagonal streets in the city and this is why).

When you walk along the Duke of Gloucester Street, you will feel like you have stepped back in time. You suddenly think you should be wearing a long gown or breeches and, like the other people on the street, you bow politely and take on the mannerisms of the people who lived during the 1700s. And you should. You are now walking where Thomas Jefferson, George and Martha Washington, and Patrick Henry walked.

One difference - you don't have to walk through the dust and mud that was so typical of roads during the 17th and 18th centuries. Your carriage will not get stuck. Your shoes will not be sucked into the mud. You will not have to cover your mouth to keep the dusty road from choking you.

So, how about we take a stroll down the street and be transported back in time together?