WILLIAMSBURG – Colonial Williamsburg is restoring the Governor’s Palace Bowling Green this summer as part of a broader effort to preserve and recreate historic landscapes across the Historic Area.
The Bowling Green served as a recreational space for lawn bowling, a sport popular in 18th-century England that was played on open grassy courts known as bowling greens. Archaeological excavations at Colonial Williamsburg uncovered a lawn bowling ball in a well, providing evidence the game was played in Williamsburg during the colonial period.
The project is funded through a partnership between Colonial Williamsburg and the Garden Club of Virginia. Jack Gary, vice president of archaeology and historic landscapes at Colonial Williamsburg, said the Garden Club is the primary source of support. Work is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and will restore features that have largely disappeared over time, including raised viewing terraces, tall enclosing hedges, an orchard and additional plantings.
“We are embarking upon a comprehensive landscape plan for all of Colonial Williamsburg to examine all of our landscapes, everything from our gardens to our wayfinding, everything that goes into the landscape of Colonial Williamsburg,” Gary said.
The restoration is part of Colonial Williamsburg’s larger initiative to evaluate and improve landscapes across the Historic Area as the organization enters its second century. The Governor’s Palace was chosen as one of the first projects because it is the foundation’s most visited attraction and its gardens are considered among the most iconic in this century, according to Gary.
Arthur Shurcliff served as chief landscape architect in the 1930s, leading efforts to re-create the gardens, landscapes and town planning of Colonial Williamsburg. His design of the Governor’s Palace Garden between 1930 and 1932 helped influence American garden design trends in the early 20th century.
Historical research for the project has focused on Shurcliff’s original plans and the methods he used when creating the Governor’s Palace Garden. Gary said the restoration team was struck by the depth of the historical research conducted during the original restoration effort, including archeology and studies of comparable gardens in the United States and England. Once restoration is complete, Colonial Williamsburg hopes to resume lawn bowling demonstrations for visitors.
Work is already underway in the palace grounds, including excavation of the ornamental canal. Once that phase is completed, crews will shift to the bowling green project in mid-summer.
The first phase will involve regrading the area and rebuilding two earthen terraces that once served as viewing platforms for lawn bowling matches. In the fall, workers will plant a tall hedge around the bowling green, recreating the enclosed “garden room” envisioned in Shurcliff’s original design. An orchard that was included in the 1930s plans but never installed will also be planted.
The project is also serving as a testing ground for future landscape restorations. Because traditional boxwood hedges are vulnerable to disease, Colonial Williamsburg plans to use alternative species that resemble the original plants while offering greater resistance to blight, pests and changing climate conditions.
During construction, portions of the Governor’s Palace grounds will remain closed to visitors. The western garden area, including the fruit garden, Revolutionary War cemetery, terraces and canal, is currently closed due to ongoing work and heavy equipment on site.
“Our goal is to have all of the parts, the canal, the terraces, and the bowling green, done by the end of 2026 and have them all reopened to the public,” Gary said.
