Drayton Hall: Rich in Southern History

Larger than life: Art that inspires us through the ages

Drayton Hall sits on 76 acres today, with some former Drayton-owned property now owned and preserved by the State of South Carolina. The Palladian style focuses on symmetry and is inspired by the classical architecture of Greece and Rome. (Drayton Hall Preservation Trust)

Despite nearly three centuries in existence, Drayton Hall (built between 1738 and 1750) on the Ashley River in Charleston, South Carolina, lives on and, in fact, is an active archeological site. Seven generations of the Drayton family have lived in the home.

The original owner, John Drayton, was born in nearby Magnolia Plantation, which the family still owns. John once operated a vast 76,000-acre property, of which Drayton Hall enjoys a central position on 76 acres today.

The estate in the Palladian architectural style has remained fully intact, having survived two major wars that affected the Charleston area—the Revolutionary War and Civil War. It has also withstood the worst earthquake on record to affect the East Coast, in 1886, as well as countless hurricanes. Descendants of enslaved workers lived on the property until 1960, after which time it was declared a National Historic Landmark. Drayton Hall, owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and managed by the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust, opened to the public in 1976.

Patty Sailer, communications and marketing manager for Drayton Hall, explained that the home has not been altered to accommodate electricity, air conditioning, or other modern conveniences. Thus, original artifacts and furnishings are on display in a climate-controlled on-site museum gallery.

“We have a full team of archeologists on staff, and about 3 percent of the landscape has been excavated and studied so far,” she said. “There were exciting finds in the cellar recently, such as an intact toy cannon that actually can be filled with gun powder, ignited, and can shoot small lead balls. The staff continues to do research about the property and the lives that were involved and affected, as there are always more stories to be told.”

Drayton Hall’s wide marble-tiled portico with towering columns and iron railings overlooks the long entryway, once traversed by horse-drawn carriages and horses and their riders. (Drayton Hall Preservation Trust)

Called a “Withdrawing Room,” to which owners and guests withdrew for privacy, the first-floor expansive space boasts such architectural details as dentil moldings, an elaborate hand-carved plaster ceiling, and a decorative, ornately carved wood mantel over a brick fireplace. (Drayton Hall Preservation Trust)

The elaborate stair hall, with routes to the first main floor and the second floor, is set off by hand-carved mahogany railings and a series of complementary paneled walls. Even a small area at the stair landing sports adornment, which indicates just how attentive the Drayton family was to the ornamental detailing of the home. (Drayton Hall Preservation Trust)

Remnants of the home’s blue-green wall color date to circa 1870, but the original walls were painted a stone-buff hue in the 1700s. The lower Great Hall leads onto the portico and connects to the withdrawing room. (Drayton Hall Preservation Trust)

Embellishments, such as this hand-carved boar’s head with fruit medallion, are replete throughout the approximately 10,000-square-foot grand home, as the prominent Drayton family often entertained and showcased their affluence in the South. (Drayton Hall Preservation Trust)

The two-story Drayton Hall sits atop an open, arched cellar with a cut-stone floor to allow a flow of air below the home’s first floor. Stored in the space are the original marble columns, which were replaced with more structurally sound, lighter-weight columns at some point in the home’s more recent history. (Drayton Hall Preservation Trust)

More than 360,000 bricks were hand-made on-site and used to construct Drayton Hall, which sits prominently on lands defined by massive oaks, dripping with moss, and a pond. The estate once comprised more than 76,000 acres where indigo, rice, and cattle were raised. (Drayton Hall Preservation Trust)