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On January 15, 1784, Drayton Hall was acquired by Dr. Charles Drayton, John\u2019s oldest surviving son who later served as Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (1785 \u2013 1787). A prolific diarist, Charles\u2019s writings constitute the majority of Drayton Hall\u2019s surviving manuscripts. His written observations detail contemporary agricultural practices, botany, landscape architecture, and interactions with plantation workers, free and enslaved. Charles chronicled nearly four decades of Drayton Hall\u2019s history before his death on August 11, 1820.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Drayton Hall passed through two successive Drayton generations (Charles II and Charles III) before being placed under the custodianship of Mary Middleton Shoolbred Drayton and her three sons\u2014James, Thomas, and John\u2014in 1852, when heir apparent Charles IV was only five years old. By this time, however, Drayton Hall\u2019s antiquated appearance and secluded Lowcountry setting no longer satisfied the evolving conventions of high society, which placed greater emphasis on nouveau, urbane environments. The class-conscious Draytons relocated to downtown Charleston and relegated their ancestral estate to a secondary residence.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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During the American Civil War, the Draytons fervently supported Southern secession. Dr. John Drayton, Mary\u2019s youngest son, was contracted by the Confederate War Department to oversee the health of enslaved laborers constructing Charleston\u2019s defensive works. In February 1865, Union troops under Brigadier General Alexander Schimmelfennig campaigned along the Ashley River, pillaging and torching every plantation home in sight. Miraculously, Drayton Hall survived the destruction, although the reason for this forbearance remains unclear. Local historians theorize that John Drayton emblazoned his property with yellow quarantine flags\u2014signaling the presence of infectious disease\u2014which may have dissuaded Union raiders from approach.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
The Confederacy\u2019s capitulation coincided with the collapse of southern plantation society. Without the exploitation of slave labor, many members of the planting class, including the Draytons, fell into financial ruin. Dr. John Drayton had little to salvage from South Carolina\u2019s scorched earth, prompting his move to Brazoria County, Texas, in December 1865. Prior to his departure, John leased Drayton Hall to several mining companies that excavated the Ashley River for phosphate rock\u2014a key material in fertilizer production. Phosphate mining and processing became the primary Lowcountry industries during the immediate postbellum years. Production peaked around 1883\u2014when Charles IV acquired Drayton Hall from his uncle John\u2014and continued through the early twentieth century.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Mining operations at Drayton Hall relied on labor from convicts and recently-emancipated African Americans, many of whom were former Drayton slaves. These black miners formed a culturally-vibrant and tight-knit community that flourished along the Ashley River Historic District until the mid-1950s.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
South Carolina\u2019s phosphate industry declined during the 1890s when more accessible mineral deposits were discovered in North Florida. Though temporary, phosphate excavation provided a much-needed economic stimulus for landowning families across the Lowcountry. The Draytons expensed mining profits to maintain possession of their ancestral home. Unfortunately, many of Drayton Hall\u2019s dependencies (including two flanker buildings) were too deteriorated to reclaim\u2014irreparably damaged by neglect and natural disasters, namely the Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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When Charles IV died on December 23, 1915, Drayton Hall passed to his wife, Elize Merritt Gantt Drayton, and their three children. In 1941, Charlotta Drayton, the family\u2019s last surviving heir, assumed ownership responsibilities of Drayton Hall. Charlotta was an influential voice for historic accuracy and architectural preservation\u2014she refused to install modern amenities such as indoor plumbing, climate control, and electricity. Prior to her death in 1969, Charlotta provisioned her will to \u201cmaintain the building in a satisfactory state of repairs and [funds are] not to be construed in any way to pay for improvements or modernization of the premises.\u201d The National Trust for Historic Preservation acquired Drayton Hall in 1974 and honored the late Charlotta\u2019s request for preservation. The estate has been open for public tours since 1977.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Untouched by modern contrivances, Drayton Hall offers exclusive opportunities for cultural historians and architectural enthusiasts alike. There are numerous programs\u2014including guided house tours and Distinguished Speaker Services\u2014that analyze the estate\u2019s diverse past. All-inclusive tickets begin at $29 per person. These passes include a one-hour mansion tour, self-guided landscape audio tour, and access to the African American Cemetery and associated museum exhibits.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Drayton Hall\u2019s Visitor Center contains a welcome area, estate shop, and exhibit gallery featuring period furniture, family manuscripts, and archaeological recoveries. Outside of the Visitor Center is the Lenhardt Courtyard Garden\u2014a semi-formal manicured landscape arranged underneath a majestic live oak, likely planted around 1800. The garden\u2019s arrangement and biological diversity reflect Anglican portrayals of wealth and sophistication during the eighteenth century. John Drayton implemented native plants and trees in his garden while his horticulturalist son, Charles, embellished the landscape with exotic species.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
To the left of the garden stands the Caretaker\u2019s House (c. 1870). This vernacular building was originally constructed for a white mining supervisor, but as industrial operations dwindled, the domicile became a residence for the formerly-enslaved Bowens and Hayes families. Today, this cabin contains informative exhibits about Drayton Hall\u2019s postbellum history, phosphate mining practices, and enduring African American community.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Drayton Hall\u2019s Main House Tour begins in the cellar, which most likely functioned as a kitchen and servants\u2019 quarters during the Antebellum period; its weathered, stone-tiled floors evidence centuries of continuous activity. Many of the foundational chambers display architectural artifacts original to the home\u2019s construction. One room, in particular, contains a manmade substructure that predates Drayton Hall\u2019s existence\u2014a fascinating discovery excavated by Drayton Hall\u2019s archaeological team in 2018. The tour continues onto the front portico, Drayton Hall\u2019s most distinctive feature. This two-storied porch both recedes into and protrudes from the main building\u2014a trifecta of contemporary characteristics incomparable anywhere else in the world.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
While most historic homes undergo extensive restorative efforts, Drayton Hall persists in a delicate state of preservation. The mansion\u2019s interior\u2014devoid of any period furnishings or accessories\u2014has been meticulously stabilized, accentuating its architectural handiwork and fine decorative details. Intricate plaster ceiling medallions, stately mantelpieces, and a double-cased mahogany stairwell are just a few examples of Drayton Hall\u2019s aesthetic elements.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Drayton Hall\u2019s self-guided audio tour continues onto the lawn and brings its notable landscape architecture into perspective. Beginning at the three-tiered ornamental mound\u2014assembled during the late 1800s with displaced dirt from the reflecting pond\u2014guests may enjoy a commanding view over the property that once teemed with agricultural activity. To the right lies the foundation of the North Flanker, one of two auxiliary structures that completed John Drayton\u2019s Palladian vision. Little is known about how these dependencies functioned\u2014they may have served as offices or living quarters for enslaved workers and guests\u2014and unfortunately, both were destroyed prior to the twentieth century. Besides the main residence, the only other surviving eighteenth-century building at Drayton Hall is the brick privy, located one hundred feet to the northwest.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
The estate\u2019s riverside property features numerous structures that exemplify the evolution of Drayton Hall\u2019s landscape. Follow the central walkway (lined with manicured azalea bushes) to a wooden footbridge that crosses an eighteenth century ha-ha\u2014a recessed brick embankment wall built by Charles Drayton to keep grazing animals from damaging his ornamental garden. Directly to the left are the stone remnants of John Drayton\u2019s Garden House (c. 1747). In the Ashely River, observant visitors may appreciate wooden dock pylons reminiscent of Drayton Hall\u2019s postbellum phosphate industry.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Back towards Ashley River Road stands the African American Cemetery, which has been used continuously since the 1790s. At least forty individuals have been identified, although dozens more may lie in unmarked graves. In accordance with requests from the local African American community, this sacred burial ground remains in a natural state\u2014unmanicured by landscaping crews\u2014although preservationists make concerted efforts to maintain gravesite integrity, analyze anthropological evidence, and characterize Black experiences in Drayton Hall\u2019s historical interpretation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Drayton Hall is an architectural masterpiece that represents the sociocultural and economic diversifications of the American South. The philosophy of historic preservation protects Drayton Hall\u2019s authenticity and perpetuates an equitable narrative based on tangible observations. A rarity among southern estates, Drayton Hall substantially influences the consciousness of early American history.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n