SPRING 2026
THE
CRESSET. DONOR SOCIETIES NEWSLETTER
News of Your Impact on The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Our Centennial Exhibition
Where History Meets Hospitality
The Virginia Declaration of Rights
New exhibition explores Colonial Williamsburg’s first 100 years.
Meet the smiling faces behind our donor reception center.
America’s forgotten founding document was drafted in Williamsburg 250 years ago.
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50Years
of THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG FUND The year 2026 marks a defining moment for both our nation and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. As the Foundation celebrates its 100th anniversary, we also commemorate 50 years of the Colonial Williamsburg Fund and fundraising. Five decades of steadfast, unrestricted support from generous donors around the country and the world have allowed us to advance our mission and strengthen our impact, transforming the Foundation from the dream of two individuals into the educational institution that operates the largest U.S. history museum in the world. Colonial Williamsburg was formed in 1926 when the Rev. Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin collaborated with philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. to restore Virginia’s colonial capital to its 18th-century appearance. In November of that year, Rockefeller authorized the first funding to study the restoration of Williamsburg’s historic buildings, marking the official start of the restoration project. Then in December, Rockefeller sent Goodwin a cryptic telegram, signed “David’s Father,” authorizing the first purchase of Williamsburg property. What began as a modest initiative to preserve Williamsburg’s 18th-century buildings soon blossomed into a full-scale restoration. This partnership, in which Rockefeller committed to helping Goodwin “to carry out this enterprise completely and entirely,” began a century of research, discovery and storytelling. For 50 years the Rockefeller family was the principal investor in Colonial Williamsburg. In 1974, the Foundation launched its first organized fundraising
We are pleased to present the spring 2026 issue of The Cresset. A sensory experience that helps to define Colonial Williamsburg, cressets line Duke of Gloucester Street. They are used for a small fire, burning as a light or beacon. This newsletter is intended to be just that — a beacon to highlight the stories, places, people and projects that demonstrate...
ca. 1928
1976 (top) The Rev. Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin and John D. Rockefeller Jr. meet with architects in Williamsburg to discuss the restoration project. (bottom) The Governor’s Palace, as pictured in 1976, the year the Colonial Williamsburg Fund was created.
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For membership information and assistance, please contact The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation at donorrelations@cwf.org.