During a large portion of the period Williamsburg was the Capital of the Virginia Colony (1699 to 1780), the Governor's Palace was the official residence of the royal governor. The original building took 16 years to construct, and was completed in 1721.It was the last resident, Thomas Jefferson, who urged that the Capital of Virginia be relocated to Richmond in 1780 for security reasons during the American Revolution. The new lodging for the governor adjacent to the current Virginia State Capitol building in Richmond is more modest in size and style, and is called the Governor's Mansion. On December 22, 1781,the main building was destroyed by a fire. Some outbuildings survived, but were demolished during the American Civil War.
