For many years after the colonial era, the colonial section of Williamsburg was neglected as the modern town was built around it. Fearing that the buildings in the area would be destroyed as time went on, W. A. R. Goodwin, pastor of the Bruton Parish Church, started a movement to preserve the buildings in the district, and signed on John D. Rockefeller as his primary source of funding. Restoration started on November 27, 1926 and since then, Colonial Williamsburg has been nearly completely restored, and features shops, taverns and open-air markets in the colonial style. The Governor's Palace and the Capitol building are among the significant reconstructed buildings within the restored area. The western side of the district, near the College of William and Mary, has been designated for modern shops under the name "Merchant's Square".