This was our first tour of Bassett Hall. I have been to the Colonial city a few times but I never had a full understanding of the roll that The Rockefellar's played in the rebirth of Colonial Williamsburg. Our tour guide, Sandy, was wonderful. She knew a lot about them and was happy to share her info with the rest of us. What an amazing story and a needed tour to help put the entire local colonial puzzle together.
This is a wonderful historic venue in CW. The tour guide was excellent and very enthusiastic about the building and its rich history. Most of the focus is on the Rockefellers. The tour guide made me feel as if she was a personal friend of Mr. and Mrs. Rockefeller. Great!
Our guide Chuck White, was informative, personable, and with his stories made the place and vision Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller had for Williamsburg come alive. They were amazing people and we are fortunate that they preserved the history of Williamsburg as they did.
I was surprised by the Rockefeller's Williamsburg home. I expected one more example of conspicuous consumption, but this was 180 degrees away from that: a rather modest home decorated with very homey art and furnishings. The story of how the John D., Jr. got involved in colonial preservation and how they became true members of the modern community is worth hearing.
The Rockefellers made Colonial Williamsburg happen and enjoyed coming to town for the Spring and Fall seasons. The house is furnished as authentically as possible although with few pieces owned by the Rockefellers. The gardens are very nice. Well worth a visit.
We visited Bassett Hall last Saturday. They have a great movie before the tour on how the restoration of Williamsburg. The staff were great. They really know and love the home. The home contains all the family furniture (not period furniture). The kitchen is adorable. The butlers pantry area is one I would kill for. The grounds surrounding the home are beautiful.
The staff change the house and grounds to mirror the time of year the Rockefeller's would have been there. It really is a look into the family's use of the house when they lived there. The family history is very interesting and the staff are very knowledgeable. Leave some time to walk the grounds.
Very well maintained and artfully decorated building. Super knowledgeable tour guide took us to every corner of the building.
This was a wonderful tour. I was very thankful for the generosity of this family to Williamsburg. It was a delight!
Bassett Hall is located off York Street on the eastern edge of the Historical district. A convenient parking lot is available adjacent to the house. Opening is limited to Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9-5. Start at the information center to schedule your tour and to view a video about the founding of Colonial Williamsburg, the Rockefeller family's involvement and their home at Bassett Hall. The house tour provides a window on the life of this incredibly wealthy family, their wish to fit in to the local community and Mrs. rockefeller's dedication to the collection of Folk Art. Our guide was a wealth of information and the tour allowed for a look back to the 20th mid century lifestyle prior to television.