WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Starting Nov. 23, you can now enjoy a cup of coffee like the Founding Fathers did in an authentic recreation of an 18th-century coffeehouse. More than 200 years since Americans gathered to discuss political and social issues in an authentic 18th-century coffeehouse, Colonial Williamsburg formally dedicates the R. Charlton Coffeehouse on Nov. 20. The coffeehouse is the Historic Area’s newest exhibition building and the first major reconstruction on Duke of Gloucester Street in more than half a century.
“The reconstructed R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse is a major architectural and educational addition to the Historic Area,” said Colin G. Campbell, president of Colonial Williamsburg, in a press release. “It adds a new dimension and vibrancy to our understanding and portrayal of life in Williamsburg on the eve of the American Revolution.”
R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse will open daily for interpretive tours on Nov. 23, when guests will learn about the pre-Revolutionary significance of this establishment before concluding the experience with the opportunity to enjoy a sample tasting of period coffeehouse beverages — coffee, tea or chocolate. The newest exhibition site in the Historic Area will reflect its 18th-century role as a gathering place for the politically connected as well as for the socially ambitious.
Archaeological evidence recovered from the coffeehouse site reflects the importance of fine dining as well as the consumption of tea, coffee and chocolate. R. Charlton’s Coffeehouse is built on its original foundations with 18th-century construction techniques.