The Brick House That Isn't Made of Brick

 Sept 16 – 21, 2022, by Amy and Honoria

 

The Brick House

Situated on Botetourt Street, just a bit off Duke of Gloucester Street, this cozy cottage seems to have a variety of names.  Directly behind the Brick House Tavern (a historic tavern with “16 Good Rooms for Ladies and Gentlemen”), the residence was used in the 1700s for a wheel and cart shop.  It is sometimes referred to as The Brick House Shop, or simply The Brick House, but the building has a metal plaque stating The Brick House Tavern Store.

Our sign that we were almost home

A bit of history from the Colonial Williamsburg website:

[The Brick House Shop is a two-bedroom house located behind the main Brick House Tavern on Botetourt Street. In the 18th century, the shop was used by two entrepreneurs to carry on the "RIDING-CHAIR MAKERS business, in all its branches; and likewise make carts, and all kinds of wheels."]

Full of the charm of period furnishings, our house just fit us.  Barely.  Upstairs there was a petite bathroom under a slanted roof and an equally petite bedroom, furnished with two full-size beds. 

Downstairs in the main living space was a leather sofa bed where the boys slept, a couple of small tables and two leather chairs.  At my advance request, a small refrigerator was brought in.  Food in the colonial taverns is pricy, so this modern concession and a nearby grocery really helped with the cost of feeding eight hungry people. 

The remaining room downstairs was my bedroom with a four-poster, and an attached bath, the latter which I shared with the family.

Four-poster bed downstairs

Downstairs bedroom

View from the bedroom

 The old bench out front was a pleasant spot to rest during the day, but at night the mosquitos came out in droves to torment us. 

A shady corner to wait

Tired, hot and itchy from mosquitos, but ready to explore some more

Following is a short blog about the house, and a sneak peek at some other exciting aspects of our time in the city.

The House at Williamsburg

By Honoria (age 12)

From a mock trial you are allowed to participate in, to buying authentic souvenirs at the realistic old-fashioned shops, Colonial Williamsburg is an astonishing place to see and interact, in the lovely state of Virginia. My experiences have been great, and my favorite part of it all was the old-fashioned cottage we got to stay in.

Coming home to The Brick House

The genuine wood floors, leather couches and chairs, and out-dated patterned cloth used as curtains or carpets were the eye-catching features of the house. The springy beds, and squeaky floorboards, made me feel as though I were experiencing the 1700’s for real! I loved walking up the stair-runner placed along the wooden steps. The bathrooms were not as out-dated as the rest of the house, and I enjoyed the modern touch to the house, though I still appreciate the old part of the cottage as well. Me and my sisters also enjoyed the small closet we found, with a pull-switch light bulb. It served as a small play-area and helped our imaginations soar.

The original old house that we stayed in was amazing, eye-catching, authentic, and I really enjoyed living in the small cottage in the old town of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.

Through the gardens, the back way to The Brick House