Imagine fingerprints of slave children visible on the bricks of Drayton Hall. This plaque commemorates a place with layers of stories etched into its very foundations.
Drayton Hall stands as a testament to a pivotal era in American history. It is one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture. This iconic landmark offers a glimpse into the lives of those who shaped the South.
John Drayton, a Barbadian planter’s son, bought this property in 1738. As the third son, he was not set to inherit his family’s Magnolia Plantation. His mother helped him become a significant landowner. By his death, he owned over 76000 acres.
Construction of Drayton Hall began around 1747. It was occupied by the early 1750s. The seven-bay house sits on a 630-acre plantation that once grew indigo and rice. It was once the site of 13 slave cabins. About 78 slaves were housed here.
Seven generations of Drayton heirs preserved the house. However, the outbuildings did not survive. An earthquake destroyed the laundry house in 1886. A hurricane destroyed the kitchen in 1893.
During the Revolutionary War, the Draytons supported the Patriot cause. As the British approached in 1779, John Drayton tried to escape across the Cooper River. He suffered a seizure during the crossing and died.
In 1780, Drayton Hall became British headquarters. General Charles Cornwallis used it until 1782. General “Mad Anthony” Wayne then took it back. The house survived but the gardens and crops were not so lucky.
Dr. Charles Drayton, John’s son, purchased Drayton Hall after the war. He was an intellectual with interests in science and botany. He changed the fireplaces to the new “Rumford Firebox” design. Thomas Jefferson sent him 118 olive stones to sample. The climate proved unfavorable for olives here.
Stories vary about how Drayton Hall survived the Civil War. One says that a former slave begged Union soldiers not to destroy “the Admiral’s” house. Another says that Dr. John Drayton warned of smallpox. Confederate soldiers left graffiti under the stairs.
After the Civil War, phosphate mining contracts helped sustain the estate. Charles H. Drayton built a narrow-gauge railway for the mines. The mines were close to the house.
By 1885, the house and gardens were restored. A reflecting pool replaced a small creek. Earth was sculpted into a decorative mound. Charles planted an azalea allee leading to the river.
In 1886, Charles H. Drayton built a new home in Charleston. The family used Drayton Hall as a weekend and summer home. Charlotta Drayton cherished the house in its original state. It had no plumbing or electricity. Henry Francis Dupont wanted to move the Great Hall to Winterthur. Charlotta refused his offer.
In 1974, Drayton Hall was sold to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It opened to the public in 1977. Today, Drayton Hall is a unique house museum. It offers a glimpse into colonial America. It is an undisturbed historic landscape.
Drayton Hall stands as a reminder of a complex past. The mahogany staircase is original and unique. It is a testament to the craftsmanship of the era. The Drayton Hall Plaque marks a place of significance. It’s a place where history whispers from every brick and beam.