Colonial Houses – Historic Lodging

5 stars for coolness factor, we stayed at the Tavern Inn, right on the DOG street, nice set up and the bed was super comfy. My major issue with the place was the cleaning crew, hence the 2 stars. IF you are going to have a canopy bed, for the luv of God, please pull it down once in a great while and vacuum it or send it out to be cleaned. There was a good layer of dust on it and we didn’t dare bump the bed too much as we didn’t want to get sprinkled with dust mites.
Second thing, if you are going to hire a cleaning person, as in single staff, have someone come by and check their work! Our cleaning person must have used the same towel to wipe up the floor and tub and then wipe the walls down. Multiple pubic hairs from various people were all over the place, PURE YUCK.
Relatively thin walls and doors in the place, we could hear the next door folks walk into their room and bang things around and flush the toilet! Not that hyped on the bathroom not having a functioning exhaust fan, had our visit been the middle of a humid summer, the paint would have been peeling from the walls.
Should also note, if you are handicapped or have limited mobility, do not stay here, see my pictures, there are stairs everywhere! We got a 1^st floor room but there were plenty of stairs up and down in this place.
For the price the coolness factor of being right in the middle of all the action, it was indeed priceless. Free DNA test samples on the bathroom walls and dust mite farm over your bed, I’ll pass.

My girlfriend and I stayed at one of the Colonial Houses as part of her birthday weekend in Williamsburg. Our «house» was the Chiswick-​Bucktrout Kitchen, a former kitchen for the larger Chiswick-​Bucktrout House that has since been converted into its own suite. I chose this option because it’s separated from the house, and felt like a stand alone cabin all to ourselves.
We loved it. Both of us enjoy history and the kitschiness of stuff like this, so it was right up our alley. The suite was complete with its own bathroom (that was actually really nice), TV, queen sized canopy bed, and sitting chairs. Other than the original brick floor, it was hard to tell we were in a structure originally built in the 1700s. We had a nice night, and enjoyed being within walking distance to all the major sites of Colonial Williamsburg and Merchant’s Square. If given the chance, we would definitely stay in one of the Colonial Houses, especially one that functions as a stand alone structure like ours did. Plus we had the option of enjoying all the amenities of the Williamsburg Inn, like being taxied over to our house, bags carried for us, on-​call service to our house until late, and discounted tickets to the tours in Colonial Williamsburg.

We stayed at the Moody Kitchen colonial house for our wedding and were very impressed by it. It’s a quaint little house (circa 1600’s) with a nice canopy bed, big fireplace, and nice landscaping out back with tons of flowers and even a groundhog who lives on the property! The price is high, but this isn’t an average experience you can get anywhere else. We really enjoyed it.

This is a hard review to write, because staying in the Colonial Houses lodging is really a unique experience. You’re right in the middle of the 18^th-​century world preserved by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, in a one-​of-​a-​kind environment. Still, these are old properties, and there are sacrifices that you make for this experience.
The good: You stay in a restored or reconstructed colonial-​era building. Some are standalone, some are multi-​room houses & taverns. These are all liberally sprinkled throughout the historic district along Duke of Gloucester and St. Francis Streets. You get concierge service from the top-​notch Williamsburg Inn, bell service, and a private parking area on-​site. You are free to take advantage of the Inn and Lodge’s ammenities.
The rooms are furnished and decorated with antiques and reproductions. You are fully immersed in the living history experience, as it’s all taking place right outside your window. These are also (if you’re in a tavern room) some of the more affordable on-​site accommodations. Room service is available from the Inn kitchens, as well. Even though they’re a bit worn about the edges, they’re generally clean.
The bad: The buildings were converted to lodging many years ago, and most have not had a real update since then. There’s no internet connectivity, they’re smaller rooms than modern hotels, and the fixtures tend toward the outdated. Some rooms are in buildings with steeply pitched roofs, which intrude into the space, sometimes annoyingly so. Sound travels more than you’d expect in the multi-​room buildings, as well. Not the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept on, either.
The ugly: Never stay in the second floor of the Brick House Tavern. The roof is so pitched that the shower is nearly unusable if you’re taller than 5′ 6″. Yes, the roof pitch intrudes on the tub/​shower. The properties are looking pretty tired these days, though some of them are being renovated in stages. Furnishings are really showing wear, and some 2^nd-​story rooms show water damage from leaky roofs.
All in all, it’ still worthwhile to stay here — it’s an experience you don’t generally get. If you’re looking for a modern room with all the conveniences, though, this might not be the option for you.

Ewing Shop — Guest House #3028
You do get yourself immersed into the history of this place. The 200 square feet single story house we stayed in once operated as a shop almost 220 years ago. It stocked a variety of objects such as thread, coating materials, and nails.
Scottish emigrant Ebenezer Ewing purchased this shop in 1790 along with the larger residential main house a few yards away. Apparently, he was opposed to the idea of marriage. He lived here with his mistress and their illegitimate son until his death in 1795. When he died, he left his mistress the house with the proviso that «the moment she marries,» it automatically becomes the property of their son. In the end, she never married. Why give up such a big house?
Today, this former shop is refurbished with cozy 18^th century décor, a queen canopy bed, 2 Georgian arm chairs, a wooden shelf filled with classic literature books in worn condition, and a fireplace. A full bath with modern plumbing was added later on when the house was converted for lodging purposes. The fine quality toiletries are products supplied by the Williamsburg Resort & Spa, not the cheap stuff they sell at Bath & Body Works.
It does get cold in the winter no matter how high you turn up the heat. You can always get wood from the back shed and light up the fireplace yourself (don’t tell the concierge). My friend got a good kick out of finding a trap door outlined in the floor boards on one corner of the house partially concealed by a rug. The whole experience is fun and educational at the same time.