When you visit Yorktown, I highly suggest a bright, sunny fall day and tagging along to a free tour.
After the introduction film provided at the visitor's center and museum, we followed a brief tour led by a reenactor.
Our reenactor played an important part in the victory at Yorktown, Governor William Nelson — who supported the American cause and whose son signed the Declaration of Independence.
The last stop of the tour is the Nelson home — a modest two-story mansion that offers a glimpse into the lives of the Nelsons.
Don't let the cannonball on the side of the facade fool you — it was added much later for dramatic story-telling effect!
The house has very few furnishings, but does get extremely beautiful light throughout.
Original chairs.
Household ledger list.
Dining room.
I particularly liked the hidden closets and cabinets in the dining room — either extremely helpful for when you want salt and pepper on hand, or if you need to hide something quickly in an attempt to make the place presentable for guests.
While modest in appearance, its worth a stop to see what a Governor's house looked like in Colonial America.