Photo of Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, VA

Apprentice Tinsmith

Colonial Williamsburg

101 Visitor Center Drive
Williamsburg, VA 23185

Management Company
Managed By The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Save this job
Tweet
LinkedIn
Compensation: $16.00 per hour, Full-Time

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 18th-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 88 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, 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

An apprentice supports the Education and Preservation Mission of Historic Trades and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation by learning and demonstrating the hand skills required to manufacture traditional work of the colonial period. The Apprentice will research primary and secondary 18th-century sources and object-based study. The Apprentice will work with artisans of various trades, historians, curators, and conservators to better understand a specific trade. The Apprentice will preserve and perpetuate the trade skills by providing a pro-active interpretation of the work, the state of technology, and the diverse people who populated and produced such work in the 18th century.

Essential Functions:

  • Learns and develops proficiency in working with appropriate materials, tools, and 18th c. methods as outlined through a five-level curriculum under the direction of the master or journeyman supervisor.
  • Research available information and may conduct ongoing supplemental research to the existing body of knowledge.
  • Applies learned hand skills and research through demonstration while employing the National Association of Interpretation techniques to provide in-depth thematic interpretations of the trade, history, and products and services in the community, region, and world.
  • Assists with in-depth seminars, workshops, and forums as required using Colonial Williamsburg assigned technological platforms.
  • Adheres to safety and security procedures for work, workshops, tools, and people
  • Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

  • Must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Must have good communication skills, learn, execute, demonstrate, research, and teach varied hand skills usually gained through progressive work experience.
  • Must have familiarity with various universal and specific computer platforms as designated by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
  • Must have the ability to handle multiple priorities while working within a set of guidelines and procedures with general supervision, adapting to a changing work environment, and working a flexible schedule, including weekends.

Required and Preferred Education and Experience:

Required: High school degree/G.E.D. with a general knowledge of 18th c. colonial history.

Preferred: Four-year Degree in American History and or Successful Completion or Certification from a Trade School with a concentration in handwork.

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.

Posted April 14, 2025

Colonial Williamsburg

The Colonial Williamsburg Company has been driven by the same core values since 1930, when the ideas were first established by Williamsburg Tavern and Ordinaries, Inc. With a new formation of hotel properties, the opening of the Williamsburg Inn by Mr. John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1937, we’ve hosted and entertained guests from across the globe with our rich history and impressive collection of amenities.

Today, we offer gorgeous guestrooms & colonial homes, over 20 food and beverage outlets, three championship golf courses, a 30,000 sq. ft. spa wellness & fitness center, and a retail shopping district – all supporting The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s education mission and historic preservation. By utilizing our relevance, craftsmanship, courage, and inclusion we’ve continued to fuel our passion in providing captivating experiences for our guests and rewarding opportunities and benefits for each of our trusted employees. And as an Equal Opportunity Employer, we embrace diversity and incorporate culture to unite our team and ensure that we always exceed our guests’ expectations. 

Other Job Openings