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Learn about John D. Rockefeller's historic-preservation of early American history at Williamsburg

Learn about John D. Rockefeller's historic-preservation of early American history at Williamsburg

A discussion of John D. Rockefeller's preservation of early American history at Williamsburg, Virginia, from the documentary Riches, Rivals & Radicals: 100 Years of Museums in America.
Great Museums Television (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
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Related Articles: John D. Rockefeller, Jr. , Virginia , Williamsburg , Colonial Williamsburg

News •

Kenneth Turner Obituary - Williamsburg, VA • Nov. 4, 2026, 1:56 AM ET (Newport News Daily Press)
Major James Hundley Obituary - Williamsburg, VA (1953-2026) • Oct. 16, 2026, 3:00 AM ET (Newport News Daily Press)
Shirley Aceto Obituary - Williamsburg, VA (1937-2026) • Oct. 15, 2026, 3:00 AM ET (Newport News Daily Press)

Transcript

MARJORIE SCHWARZER: John D. Rockefeller is, of course, the son of the first billionaire in America. What he does is buys an entire town—a crumbling town in Virginia called Williamsburg—and the buildings become the objects.

[Music in]

NARRATOR: The 1920s sees the flowering of America's great historic-preservation movement.

MARJORIE SCHWARZER: This is when the term Americana is coined, and then states start coining their own terms: Texacana and Californiana.

NARRATOR: Historic preservation began in the 1860s with the Mount Vernon Ladies' Society. They saved George Washington's former home from vandals and decay.

[Music out]
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