Merchants Square is a 20th-century interpretation of an 18th-century-style retail village in

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location a ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. It is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

History

Conceived in 1927 by

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist, and the only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of the vast office complex in Mi ...

and Reverend

W. A. R. Goodwin William Archer Rutherfoord Goodwin (June 18, 1869 – September 7, 1939) (or W.A.R. Goodwin as he preferred or "the Doctor" as commonly used to his annoyance) was an Episcopal priest, historian, and author. As the rector of Bruton Parish Church, ...

,Merchants Square – History
Retrieved on June 28, 2008. Merchants Square is considered to be one of the first planned shopping districts in the United States, if not the first. Small shops throughout Williamsburg would move into a centrally located area that used architecture that was in harmony with the restoration's character. William Graves Perry, chief architect of the Williamsburg Restoration, designed the shopping district. Most of the stores and shops are located on Duke of Gloucester Street (DoG St.) right across from

The College of William & Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

’s campus. To keep the area as close to historical accuracy as possible, all telephone wires were placed underground, and modern day technologies such as air-conditioning ducts and garage equipment were hidden with shrubs and plantings.

Present day

Today there are over 40 shops and restaurants located in Merchants Square.Merchants Square – Home
. Retrieved on June 28, 2008. The area is also used for other purposes, such as seasonal concerts, a

farmers' market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors o ...

, and special movie screenings.

References

External links

Merchants Square official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merchants Square Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Buildings and structures in Williamsburg, Virginia Colonial Williamsburg Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia 1927 establishments in Virginia Commercial buildings completed in 1927 National Register of Historic Places in Williamsburg, Virginia