PBS host and former Richmond resident Samantha Brown wowed upon return visit
By Butch Maier / Photo above: Samantha Brown meets master wig maker Debbie Turpin and apprentice J Benton Parker inside her colonial wig shop.
Former Richmond resident and two-time Emmy-winning television host Samantha Brown returned to Virginia to show off Williamsburg to viewers of the PBS program Places to Love.
“It’s a place where history is on display and an invigorating work in progress,” Brown said, “where artifacts are still being discovered and questions are still being answered. It’s a place where the earliest Americans assemble with its newest citizens. It’s a unique intersection of how the people of history lived and how history lives on in us—I’m exploring Williamsburg and beyond in Virginia!”
The ninth season’s fifth episode introduced viewers to the people, places, and culture of the historically rich city. Brown immersed herself in the streets of Colonial Williamsburg, where she encountered one of the most significant archaeological historical sites in the country and explored other cultural attractions. Her journey continued with a festive fife-and-drum band performance in Yorktown before visiting nearby battlefields from the Revolutionary War. She also enjoyed a fulfilling Indian meal at Masala Craft, a testament to the rich, immigrant communities the city has built over the years.
Coastal Virginia Magazine: Why did you choose Williamsburg as a stop on Places to Love?
Samantha Brown: “Obviously, with the 250th coming up, we picked a year ahead of time where we wanted to go. We already had been in Boston. I lived in Richmond in first and second grade and had been to Williamsburg a couple times, but this was a much different look at it.”
CVM: What surprised you about the visit?
Brown: “I was so impressed with how the history of Colonial Williamsburg is evolving—the forensic research, the newer pieces of information, The Bray School—and the connection to our past.”
CVM: What are three lasting memories from your stay?
Brown: “Getting to ring the bell at the First Baptist meeting house—the ‘Let Freedom Ring Bell.’ Speaking with two members about the church. Having dinner at Masala Craft, a family-owned Indian restaurant—a Punjabi restaurant—where the father is the chef and is working with his daughter. Seeing a naturalization ceremony at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. That’s a very important part of the American process.”
CVM: How long did you stay?
Brown: “We do four shooting days for a half-hour show—whether in Williamsburg or China.”
CVM: Would you consider visiting another area in Coastal Virginia? The New York Times ranked Virginia Beach among the 52 Places to Go in the world.
Brown: “Oh my gosh, yes. I would love to spend more time in Virginia. I grew up on the New Hampshire and Maine seacoast. It’s such a different seacoast in Virginia. The Freedom Trail bike trail, I would love to do that. Go to the York River or James River. I find that area so, so fascinating.”
Butch Maier
