Nation Builder – Gowan Pamphlet

Description

Who We Are

Founded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world. Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18^th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse peoples who helped shape a new nation.

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S. The Historic Area is the 301-acre restored colonial capital with 89 original buildings and 525 buildings reconstructed to how they appeared in the 18th century through extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research. The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople who bring the 18th century to life. The Foundation also owns and operates two world-class museums, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute, and a renowned research library, the John D Rockefeller Jr Library.

Additionally, Colonial Williamsburg is home to five world class accommodations at the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge Autograph Collection, the Griffin Hotel, the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotels and Suites and the unique Colonial Houses in the Historical Area. Visitors may also indulge in food and drink at our many on site restaurants and taverns that blend a historically inspired dining experience with today’s evolved tastes. Each year over 5 million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

About the Position

Nation Builders research and portray historical individuals and narratives from the 18th-century Atlantic World through first- and third-person interpretation. Using extensive primary and secondary source research, sophisticated presentation techniques, and interpretive themes, Nation Builders develop, produce, and perform meaningful programming that sparks insight and understanding of Williamsburg’s—and America’s—founding-era history for diverse audiences.

Gowan Pamphlet, as an enslaved tavern worker, would have performed any necessary duties, from preparing and serving meals to guests to cleaning the rooms or tending the stables. During court days in the capital city, he would also have had the opportunity to observe fascinating conversations about the course of the Revolution and the principles at stake.

But Pamphlet's Baptist faith was his passion. When, with his owner's permission, Pamphlet was ordained in 1781, he became one of the only ordained Black preachers of any denomination in the country. Inspired by the Great Awakening, Pamphlet preached a message of equality before God. He followed his calling to build Williamsburg's First Baptist Church, which continues to this day. But the risks were heavy. The law prohibited large gatherings of African Americans out of fear of slave uprisings. Moreover, Baptist preachers faced harassment as dissenters from the officially recognized Church of England, even after Virginia's Statute for Religious Freedom ended state sponsorship of the church in 1786.

Main Duties:

For this assignment, primary research and portrayal will focus on Gowan Pamphlet, his lived experiences, and the social and cultural forces that shaped his life and legacy.

This job description reflects the general responsibilities of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Duties and responsibilities may evolve over time based on operational needs.

Required Education and Experience:

Preferred Qualifications:

Key Skills / Competencies:

Physical and Environmental Demands:

• This position requires frequent standing, walking, sitting, and talking for extended periods of time while engaging with guests.
• Work is performed both indoors and outdoors and may involve exposure to varying weather conditions, including heat and cold.
• The role requires the ability to project one’s voice and communicate clearly in public settings.
• The position may occasionally require lifting or carrying materials weighing up to 10 pounds.
• The ability to maintain professional performance standards while wearing period-appropriate attire and working in dynamic, guest-facing environments is required.

Typical Work Schedule:

Regular/FT; 40 hours/week. Must be able to work a flexible schedule that includes nights, weekends, and holidays

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.