The Development of Merchants Square: Colonial Imagery and the Consequences of Redevelopment in Williamsburg, Virginia and Other Small Towns, 1910-1955
Morrill, Matthew
Morrill, Matthew
Abstract
In 1910 Williamsburg, Virginia was a small, quiet, Southern town. By 1935 the hamlet had become the site of the most extensive historic preservation effort of the twentieth century. An important part of this project involved the creation of Merchants Square, a shopping district displaying colonial architectural references built to house the businesses displaced as a result of the Williamsburg Restoration. Using sources such as Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, photographs, architectural drawings, newspaper articles, diaries, correspondence and official reports, this project analyzes the events leading up to the creation of Merchants Square, what made the center effective, how it changed life in Williamsburg, and how the center reflected architectural and planning trends outside of Williamsburg.
Description
Thesis is part of Honors ETD pilot project, 2008-2013. Migrated from Dspace in 2016.
Date
2009-05-05
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Collections
Embargo
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Colonial Williamsburg, Development
Citation
Advisor
Lounsbury, Carl
Nelson, Scott Reynolds
Pease, Edwin
Nelson, Scott Reynolds
Pease, Edwin
Department
History