William Archer Rutherfoord Goodwin (June 18, 1869 – September 7, 1939) (or W.A.R. Goodwin as he preferred or "the Doctor" as commonly used to his annoyance) was an Episcopal priest, historian, and author. As the rector of

Bruton Parish Church Bruton Parish Church is located in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1674 by the consolidation of two previous parishes in the Virginia Colony, and remains an active Epi ...

, Goodwin began the 20th-century preservation and restoration effort which resulted in

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location a ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. He is thus sometimes called "the Father of the Restoration of Colonial Williamsburg."

Early life

William Archer Rutherfoord Goodwin was born in Richmond, Virginia only four years after the end of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. His father, John Francis Goodwin, was the son of an Episcopal priest and a

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

captain who was with General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House at the war's end. Partly disabled by a war wound, John Goodwin became a machinist in Virginia's capitol to raise money to restore the family's devastated farm along the eastern edge of the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the world, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsy ...

. In 1868, John Francis married Letitia Rutherfoord, also came from one of the

First Families of Virginia First Families of Virginia (FFV) were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They descended from English colonists who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsbur ...

, but didn't want to become dependent upon his father in law. The Rutherfoord home had served as a hospital for Confederate wounded from the battles of Manassas and the Peninsular Campaign. His uncle Thomas was a wealthy and influential merchant in Richmond. The small family moved to Norwood in

Nelson County, Virginia Nelson County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,775. Its county seat is Lovingston. Nelson County is part of the Charlottesville, VA Metropolitan Statistic ...

, and later deeper into the

near Wytheville, where Goodwin was raised along with his two younger sisters. After attending a private school at a local plantation, then the area's first public school, Goodwin began studies at

Roanoke College Roanoke College is a private liberal arts college in Salem, Virginia. It has approximately 2,000 students who represent approximately 40 states and 30 countries. The college offers 35 majors, 57 minors and concentrations, and pre-professional pr ...

in 1885. He graduated 1889 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After considering a career as a lawyer and working with the

Young Men's Christian Association YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

, preaching at a local jail and some studies at Richmond College in 1890, Goodwin obtained a scholarship at the

Virginia Theological Seminary Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, located at 3737 Seminary Road in Alexandria, Virginia is the largest and second oldest accredited Episcopal seminary in the Unit ...

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C. In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...

. He graduated in 1893 with a divinity degree.

Career

Ordained a deacon on June 23, 1893, two months before his father's death in Wytheville, W.A.R. Goodwin was ordained a priest on July 1, 1894, and served

St. John's Church St. John's Church, Church of St. John, or variants, thereof, (Saint John or St. John usually refers to John the Baptist, but also, sometimes, to John the Apostle or John the Evangelist) may refer to the following churches, former churches or other ...

in Petersburg for a decade, during which time the building was rebuilt. Goodwin also taught at the nearby

Bishop Payne Divinity School Bishop Payne Divinity School was a "racially" segregated Episcopal school for African-American ministerial students, in Petersburg, Virginia. It operated on Perry Street (1878–1886), West Washington Street (1886–1889), and finally South West ...

, preventing its absorption into

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...

in Washington D.C. and securing acceptance of its curriculum within the Episcopal Church (in the 1960s it was relocated to Virginia Theology Seminary's main campus in Alexandria). In 1903, Goodwin became pastor of historic

in Williamsburg, a small city which had served as Virginia's capitol from 1699 until 1780. He soon found that in 1884, the parish's women had formed a preservationist group, which had evolved into the

Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities Founded in 1889, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities was the United States' first statewide historic preservation group. In 2003 the organization adopted the new name APVA Preservation Virginia to reflect a broader focus ...

. They had repaired the churchyard's old gravestones, secured the foundation of the colonial Capitol, and acquired the Powder magazine. From Petersburg, Goodwin published ''A Historical Sketch of Bruton Church, Williamsburg, Virginia''. Aside from the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

, founded in the 17th century but suffering financially after the Civil War, time had largely left Williamsburg behind after the General Assembly moved Virginia's Capital to Richmond during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Inspired by his historic parish with its many still-standing 18th-century buildings, Goodwin continued the fund-raising, preservation and restoration of the aged and historic church building. He traveled along the East Coast soliciting contributions from ordinary people as well as financier J. Pierpont Morgan and the Bishop of London. Using information gathered from town and church records, Goodwin successfully led completion of the church's restoration in 1907, the 300th anniversary of the establishment of the Episcopal Church in America at nearby Jamestown. In that year he also published ''Bruton Parish Church restored and its historic environment.''

Move to New York

In 1909, Goodwin accepted a promotion to another historic church, St. Paul's Episcopal Church in

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...

, founded by Rt. Rev.

John Henry Hobart John Henry Hobart (September 14, 1775 – September 12, 1830) was the third Episcopal bishop of New York (1816–1830). He vigorously promoted the extension of the Episcopal Church in upstate New York, as well as founded both the General Th ...

. The parish was wealthier, which helped as he raised his three children (and sent them to boarding schools), particularly after his first wife grew ill and died in 1915. Rev. Goodwin became involved in national church conventions, as well as Rochester's civic affairs, and ministered to soldiers and sailors during World War I. While in New York, Goodwin gained additional publishing contacts and continued writing. In 1916,

E.P. Dutton E. P. Dutton was an American book publishing company. It was founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. Since 1986, it has been an imprint of Penguin Group. Creator Edward Payson Dutton (January 4, ...

published his ''The Church Enchained''. In 1921, Morehouse Publishing published his handbook for clergy and laity concerning Episcopal Church practices, for which Bishop Charles Henry Brent wrote the foreword. In 1918, he courted and married another Virginia belle, and started a second family. However, by 1922, Goodwin found himself "inexpressibly mentally tired" and discussed with his bishop his need to find a less demanding position.

Return to Virginia

Goodwin returned to Virginia full-time in February 1923, after Dr. J.A.C. Chandler, President of the College of William & Mary since 1919, recruited the clergyman to head its biblical literature and religious studies department. Goodwin was also offered a commission of five cents on each fundraising dollar, for the new President knew of the priest's connections and fundraising skills, and planned to build classrooms, labs, dormitories and athletic facilities as well as capitalize on the college's long history and outstanding remaining architecture. 1923 was the centennial of Virginia Theological Seminary, Goodwin's alma mater, which had also trained other family members. Goodwin through Dutton published the first volume of the two volume history of the seminary, which he began editing in 1914 after researching and delivering an address concerning Virginia's second Bishop, former New Yorker

Richard Channing Moore Richard Channing Moore (August 21, 1762 – November 11, 1841) was the second bishop of the Diocese of Virginia (1814–1841). Life and career Moore was born in Manhattan. His classical education at King's College began at age eight, but ...

. Upon returning to Williamsburg, Goodwin also resumed duties as rector of Bruton Parish Church, a position he held until his retirement in 1937.

Historic preservation

The deterioration and loss of 17th and 18th century structures during the years of his absence in New York shocked Goodwin and galvanized him into action. In 1924, fearing that the many other historic buildings in the area would be destroyed, Goodwin began a movement to preserve the district's remaining colonial era buildings. Goodwin used his contacts in New York and Philadelphia to revitalize the town as well as college. In particular, he convinced

John D. Rockefeller Jr. John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist, and the only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of the vast office complex in M ...

(the wealthy son of the founder of Standard Oil) and his wife,

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Abigail Greene Aldrich Rockefeller (October 26, 1874 – April 5, 1948) was an American socialite and philanthropist. She was a prominent member of the Rockefeller family through her marriage to financier and philanthropist John D. Rockefel ...

, to help restore in the historic town and stimulated their generosity, which financed its restoration and reuse as a living history museum. Working with a small group of confidantes, Goodwin acted as Rockefeller's straw buyer and acquired dozens of properties located in and near in what would become the restored area. Williamsburg attorney Vernon M. Geddy, Sr. did much of the title research and legal work and later drafted the Virginia corporate papers for the project and filed them with the

Virginia State Corporation Commission The State Corporation Commission, or SCC, is a Virginia (USA) regulatory agency whose authority encompasses utilities, insurance, state-chartered financial institutions, securities, retail franchising, and railroads. It is the state's central filin ...

. Mr. Geddy served briefly as the first President of the

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location a ...

. Together, the local team and the New York-based Rockefellers made Goodwin's dream of restoring the old colonial capital come true, creating what grew to become

. A public announcement finally revealed the Rockefellers' role at two town meetings in the historic city held in June 1928.

Personal life

Goodwin was married to Evelyn Tannor (1869–1915). Together, they were the parents of: * Evelyn Goodwin (1896–1977), who married Barclay Harding Farr (1890–1976), the headmaster of Allendale School. * Mary Katherine Goodwin (b. 1899), who married George Candee Buell (b. 1893), son of George Clifford Buell, in 1920. * Thomas Rutherfoord Le Baron Goodwin (1901–1962), who married Mary Nash Tatem in 1925. He later married Mary Randolph Mordecai (1906–1990) in 1940. After his first wife's death in 1915, he was married to Ethel Howard (1887–1954), the daughter of John Clarke Howard, in 1918. They were the parents of: * Edward Howard Goodwin (1919–2010), who married Alice Barraud Cocke (1920–2010) in 1942. * William Archer Rutherfoord Goodwin Jr. (1921–1943), who died during the

allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers ( Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany). It b ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. * John Seton Goodwin. Goodwin died in Williamsburg in 1939, and was buried in his beloved parish church. His widow died in 1954.

Legacy

Today Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area occupies 173 acres (700,000 m²) and includes 88 original buildings and more than 50 major reconstructions. It is joined by the

Colonial Parkway Colonial Parkway is a scenic parkway linking the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. It is part of the National Park Service's Colonial National Historical Park. Virginia's official state cla ...

to the two other sides of the

Historic Triangle The Historic Triangle includes three historic colonial communities located on the Virginia Peninsula of the United States and is bounded by the York River on the north and the James River on the south. The points that form the triangle are James ...

. At Jamestown, in 1607, England established its first permanent colony in the Americas. At Yorktown in 1781, the Continental Army under

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

won a decisive victory during the

to end British rule. Virginia's Historic Triangle area is a major tourist attractions, with Goodwin's

and Colonial Williamsburg as the centerpiece.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Goodwin, William Archer Rutherfoord 1869 births 1939 deaths American Episcopal clergy People from Williamsburg, Virginia Religious leaders from Rochester, New York Writers from Richmond, Virginia Roanoke College alumni Virginia Theological Seminary alumni Burials at Bruton Parish Church