Historic Williamsburg

49. Post & Printing Office

Williamsburg, VA

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William Parks, a printer, was born in England and immigrated to Maryland. He became the official authorized printer in Maryland in 1726, which meant that he was in charge of all government publishing. He also began publishing government material for the Virginia colony in 1730 and continued to work as the public printer for both locales until 1737. This was a daunting job, considering that printing was a time consuming process. Every letter and image had to be individually hand-set as a reverse image on the printing press and inked by hand with a mixture of lampblack and varnish. Slightly moistened paper was slipped into a specialized frame, and about two hundred pounds of pressure forced the paper against the inked type to create an impression. Each sheet of paper had to dry before the opposite side could be printed. In 1737, officials in Maryland accused Parks of neglecting his work and ended his contract, but in actuality Parks had taken on more work than he could successfully handle. He began working solely for Virginia after that point, and issued the first Virginia Gazette in 1736. This paper provided residents with local news, official information and advertisements. Parks also bound and published books, sold office supplies, magazines, stationery and advertisements, and operated a post office. Interpreters currently demonstrate how the press trade operated during the eighteenth century and sell items that were created in the reproduction shop.