The Capitol, Williamsburg, is an accurate reconstruction of the Capitol as it was completed in 1705.  The plan is H-shaped, with two rounded wings.  The two sides are connected by an arcade - a central loggia on the ground floor, and conference rooms above the loggia.  Built of brick and basically Georgian in character, the building shows the effect of climate on architectural style.  Because of the heat of the Virginia summers, the proportion of solid to void is much higher than an example of English Georgian architecture would be.  And the open entrance of the loggia permits the free circulation of air.  This was the first Capitol building in America.  The architect is unknown, but the contractor who built it was Henry Cary.

The foundations of the original Capitol were laid in 1701, with Virginia's General Assembly convening here from 1704-1780.  Members who met here included Patrick Henry, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson.   The building that stands today is substantially the same as the original, but it is actually the third Capitol on the site.  In 1747, the first Capitol burned.  In 1780 when the capitol was moved to Richmond at the beginning of the American Revolution, the old Capitol was used by British forces.  After the battle of Yorktown, it fell into disrepair and burned in 1832.

Early in the 20th century, the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg was championed by the Reverend W.A.R. Goodwin and John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who wanted to celebrate the patriots and the early history of America.  Restoration began in 1926 and has become one of the largest historic restorations ever undertaken.  Today the area is operated as a living museum.