User:Toepoet/St. george tucker house

The St. George Tucker House in one of the original colonial houses in Historic Williamsburg. The house was built in 1718-19 for William Levingston who built the first theater in America next door to the house. The house eventually came into the hands of St. George Tucker who moved to Williamsburg from Bermuda. Tucker was a lawyer and Federal Judge who’s “Blackstone’s Commentaries” is an indispensable American law text.

Over the years, Tucker made many additions to the house to accommodate his growing family. Among these were chimneys, a second story, an east and west wing, a kitchen and bathrooms. St. George’s son, Nathaniel Tucker continued the tradition and made changes of his own.

There are many stories and anecdotes tied to the house. One of the most persevering is of the first Christmas tree in Williamsburg. A German professor, a friend of St. George’s son, was staying in the house for a time. He introduced the Tucker children to the German tradition of decorating a tree for Christmas. To this day during the holiday season the only Christmas tree in Colonial Williamsburg is in the Tucker House to commemorate that first tree.

In 1930, the Coleman family, descendants of St. George deeded the house to Colonial Williamsburg with a life tenancy agreement. It is remarkable that for four generations, in the midst of Historic Williamsburg, the St. George Tucker house remained a private residence for Tucker’s descendants.

In the early 1990s, after the death of St. George’s great, great granddaughter, Dr. Janet Kimbrough, the house was turned over to Colonial Williamsburg. At that time the mechanical and electrical systems were brought up to date along with a bathroom constructed in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Today the St. George Tucker house is used as an elegant reception center for donors of Colonial Williamsburg.

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