In the 1920s, the Rev. W.A.R. Goodwin, rector of Bruton Parish Church, dreamed of restoring the town of Williamsburg to its historic appearance so that future Americans could be reminded of and inspired by the patriotism and purpose of its past. He sought to interest various philanthropists in the project, pointing out that Williamsburg was the one colonial city left that had not been torn down or completely swallowed up by burgeoning urban growth and whose restoration was feasible. His dream sparked the imagination of John D. Rockefeller Jr., who, beginning in 1926, devoted his personal attention and resources to the preservation and restoration of 18th-century Williamsburg.
Restoring the interiors of colonial buildings proved challenging at first, since the right kind or quality of antiques often did not exist—or at least not in the quantity needed. And so the Colonial Williamsburg Reproductions Program was born.