Drayton Hall
If any of you are familiar with Charleston, South Carolina, then you are familiar with its history. If you drive down the very scenic Highway 61, you will arrive at three different plantations that have deep roots and history associated with Charleston. However, only one of those plantations still stands in its original form as it was built all the way back in the 18th century, and that one is known as Drayton Hall.
In 1738, John Drayton purchased the property located on the Ashley River. According to a website that I get information from, he knew that as the third born son in his family that he would not inherit the plantation that he was born on, modern day Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, so he bought his own property to construct his house on. It appears that it took a few years for the construction to be completed on the house, and if you ever see it you will understand why. The house is a massive structure that was designed in the Palladian style of architecture, that means that it has perfect symmetry throughout the interior and exterior of the house, so that would take years to perfect. Plus it was built by hand way before modern day tools would come into existence.
As you drive down the long lane that takes you to the house you almost can feel the history all around you. An African American cemetery is to your right as you make your way to the house. The enslaved and their descendants are buried there. The house comes into view next, but instead of driving up to the front door, you have to go to the left and pass by some ponds that just might have some alligators sunning themselves on a warm day. You come into the parking lot next, and then your tour of the property begins.
My first visit to Drayton Hall was back in 2013. That particular year in January they were offering a deal that if you mentioned at the gate that you followed them on Facebook you would be granted free admission. I was down for that because this was a place that was on my bucket list to visit, but admission was a bit pricey. We had a few people on our tour of the house that day, but I was overwhelmed by how beautiful the place was. The staircase inside the house was the most beautiful one that I had ever laid eyes on. We found out on that tour that they rotated each month in how they took visitors up the stairs because they were trying to keep the wear on the boards the same.
One of the most remarkable things about Drayton Hall is the fact that there is no furniture in the house. I can only imagine how it must have looked when it did have furniture inside. Surprisingly some of the rooms are quite small for a house that is so large. Fireplaces are located throughout the house, but they would have needed all of them on those cold winter days since this house was built way before central heating and air would be thought of. Windows with shutters are everywhere you turn. If you have ever experienced the south in the summer, you would appreciate all of those windows to let some air into the house. There are no bathrooms inside the house, but there are some places inside the window seats that appears as if they could have held chamber pots. A privy, fancy outhouse for those of you that don’t know, is located near the house. According to a drawing that is inside, the privy was once a seven seater. You could bring your whole family into the outhouse with you while being warmed by the fireplace that is located inside of there as well. I thank God everyday that I was born when I was.
In 2014 they offered the Facebook deal again. I was so impressed with my visit the previous year, so I decided to go again. That January morning was one of the coldest ones ever, so we had the tour to ourselves along with our guide. Each guide has something different to offer on each house tour, so rest assured that you won’t hear the same speech over and over again if you visit more than once. I decided on that day to take the plunge and purchase an annual membership because I really wanted to see the property in the spring when the azaleas were blooming, plus at that time the membership allowed you to take additional guests with you. I went many times that year with different people just so they could experience a bit of history.
I did let my membership expire after that year, but in 2019 they sent me an offer that I couldn’t refuse. I could get a one year membership for half price, so I jumped on that offer. I couldn’t believe the changes that had taken place since my last visit. A beautiful welcome center with a beautiful garden had been built. The house that had been the gift shop had been converted back to the caretakers house that it had previously been. Drayton Hall itself still looked the same. When the National Trust for Historic Preservation took over the house in 1974 they were committed to preserving Drayton Hall as it had been throughout the seven generations of Drayton family ownership.
I only did the grounds tour on my first couple of visits back to Drayton Hall. I kept saying that I would wait until we were out of tourist season before I took another house tour, but then 2020 happened. The property shut down several months due to the uncertainty of the current pandemic, and I actually thought that I had blown my chance of touring the house once again before my current membership was over. Fortunately they once again reopened on an abbreviated schedule, but I made my reservations and went when I got a chance. We weren’t offered a traditional house tour when we went, but I actually liked touring the house on my own better. I was able to spend as much time as I wanted to in a room without having to worry about taking too long. We weren’t allowed to go up the stairs that particular day, but I’m fine with that.
One of my most favorite things about Drayton Hall is the growth chart that is located inside the house. You can see names of different Drayton family members written in pencil and the date their height was taken. Even the most famous dog that lived there, Nipper, has a space on the wall. To this day members of the family still come to the house to keep this tradition alive.
It has to be stated that Drayton Hall is the only plantation house in Charleston that still stood after the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Great Earthquake of 1886 that shook Charleston, and all of the hurricanes that love the South Carolina coast. The two flanker buildings that were in front of the house weren’t as fortunate. One of the buildings was used as a laundry room and the other was a kitchen. There are some pictures on the internet that show how these buildings looked when you do a quick Google search.
Drayton Hall is located at 3380 Ashley River Road in Charleston, South Carolina. They are currently on an abbreviated schedule and are only open Wednesday through Sunday each week. The grounds tour right now is $22 for each adult, $10 for children 7-15, and free for children under the age of 7. The house tour is currently an audio tour due to the pandemic, so you can bring your own earbuds or buy some on site. If you do go, please remember to look up. The ceilings in this house are amazing.
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