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Jamestown at 400: yes, there are no buildings

JAMESTOWN, Va. -- So this guy is walking toward the parking lot with his wife, big guy with a small camera around his neck, and he's obviously not happy.

"I thought there would be buildings," he says.

The first permanent English settlement in the New World is celebrating, in a responsibly big way, its 400th birthday this year.

To put that in era-perspective: In 1607, Shakespeare's latest hit play, "Antony and Cleopatra" (follow-up to his smash "Macbeth"), was playing to standing-room crowds at the Globe.

There will be commemorative huzzahs and meaningful new stuff to see and enjoy on permanent exhibit, and we'll talk about all that.

But no, after 400 years, there are no original buildings left on the original historic settlement site, Historic Jamestowne. No original fort. No original saloon. No original slaughterhouses for your photographic pleasure. Nothing.
Read entire article at Chicago Tribune