From 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the capital of England's oldest, richest and most populous mainland North American colony and the seat of power in the new nation's most influential state. Named in honor of William III, King of England, and designed by Royal Gov. Francis Nicholson, Williamsburg is one of the country's oldest planned communities.In the late 1920s a project was started to recreate the town as it would have existed in the 18th century, led in part by John D. Rockefeller. In 1928 public land was transferred for the project, and thereafter 720 buildings that postdated 1790 were demolished. Reconstructions of colonial buildings were built on the original foundations using period illustrations, written descriptions, early photographs, and informed guesswork. In total, 500 buildings were reconstructed or restored, with 88 being labeled as original colonial structures.Today the area is owned and operated by the non-profit Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a foundation initially endowed by the Rockefellers. Visitation peaked in 1985 with 1.1 million visitors but declined thereafter, but has grown somewhat since bottoming out in 2004.