Drayton Hall

Name/Title

Drayton Hall

Entry/Object ID

DRAYTON.001

Scope and Content

Drayton Hall was begun in 1738 and was completed after four years of construction by European and African American craftsmen. Today, its Georgian-Palladian architecture represents the oldest surviving example of its kind in the American South. Still without running water, electric lighting, or central heating, the preservation of the house extends a sense of timelessness and continuity. Its mere existence proves its strength against the tests of time and change, disuse and nature. Drayton Hall is the only plantation house on the Ashley River to survive the Revolutionary and Civil Wars intact. After seven generations, two great wars, and numerous hurricanes and earthquakes, the main house of this National Historic Landmark remains in nearly original condition. The entire site serves as an eloquent testimony to America's heritage. (Drayton Hall website) HCF played a pivotal role in negotiating and raising funds for the eventual acquisition of Drayton Hall by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In the 1970s, it was purchased from the Drayton family and operated by a consortium consisting of Historic Charleston Foundation; the SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism; and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Drayton Hall Council, made up of members from these 3 organizations and others, managed the property through a local administrator appointed by the National Trust. They made the decision to maintain the home unfurnished and un-modernized as an architectural museum showcasing the Georgian Palladian style of architecture. Today, the National Trust has sole responsibility for Drayton Hall. Three file cartons containing files of documents, photographs, drawings, plans, etc., related to Drayton Hall generally and HCF's involvement with it. See Container List for file contents.

Collection

Historic Charleston Foundation Property Records

Acquisition

Accession

DRAYTON.

Source or Donor

Drayton Hall

Acquisition Method

Collected by Staff

Lexicon

Search Terms

Drayton Hall (S.C.), Historic buildings--South Carolina--Charleston County, Historic sites--South Carolina--Charleston County

Legacy Lexicon

Object Name

Documents

Archive Details

Archive Size/Extent

Three 5" document boxes, one 2.5" document box

Archive Notes

Finding Aids: Printed list of file contents in each box. Level of Description: Series System of Arrangement: Three document boxes contain files arranged alphabetically by file-name. One document box contains files of photographs, not yet organized.

Archive Items Details

Title

Archaeology (1974-75)

Description

Archaeological investigations, 1974-1975

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Archives Documents and Policies

Description

Drayton Hall documents housed in various archives; archives policies.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Architectural Drawings

Description

Architectural renderings and drawings

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Architects Committee Reports (1975)

Description

Drayton Hall Architects Advisory Committee

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Articles of Agreement

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Ashley River Road

Description

Issues pertaining to Ashley River Road.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Bank Stabilization

Description

Stabilization of the Ashley River bank.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Bibliography

Description

Bibliographies related to Drayton Hall and its residents.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Building and Grounds Work

Description

Includes transcript of an interview with C. Stuart Dawson regarding work done at Drayton Hall (1973); correspondence related to work done on the building and grounds (1976-1983). (Copied to PDF; see Media link.)

Date(s) of Creation

1973 - 1976

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Cooperative Agreements (1975)

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Correspondence

Description

Drayton Hall Planning Committee correspondence, 1972-1976

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Council Charter (1975-85)

Description

Drayton Council charters

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Council Scholarly Committee, 1982

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Council Correspondence (1975-81)

Description

Drayton Council correspondence

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Council Correspondence (1982-84)

Description

Drayton Council correspondence

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Council Minutes (1975-81)

Description

Drayton Council Minutes, sporadic dates only

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Council Minutes (1982-87)

Description

Drayton Council Minutes, sporadic dates only

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Dennis Lawson's Correspondence

Description

Administrator Dennis Lawson's correspondence, 1977-1979

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Development Plan (1979)

Description

Development plan by Robert Lamb Hart, bound version

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 1

Title

Development Plan (1985)

Description

Development plan, 1985 (with revisions to 1979 version)

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Drayton Family Members

Description

Drayton Hall family members' names

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Drayton Marriage Contract

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Employee Death On-Site

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Fall of Charleston Ceremonies (1980)

Description

Fall of Charleston commemorative ceremony at Drayton Hall, 1980

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Financial Reports (1977-81)

Description

Drayton Council financial reports and budgets, 1977-1981

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Friends Organization

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Fundraising for Purchase

Description

Fundraising for purchase, 1974-1983. Includes grant request to the Smith Richardson Foundation.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Furnishings and Other Drayton Donations

Description

Furnishings and other Drayton Hall donations, including appraisals.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Garden Club and Landscaping

Description

Garden Club and landscaping work

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Georgia-Pacific Gift

Description

Gift from Georgia-Pacific, 1976

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Gibbes' Sketches

Description

Gibbes text sketches on Drayton Hall, 1845

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

HCF Minutes

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Historic Landmark Ceremony (1976)

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

History

Description

Miscellaneous documents pertaining to Drayton Hall history. Includes research summary entitled "An Agreeable Prospect of the Honourable John Drayton, Esqr's Palace and Gardens" : An Historical and Archaeological Perspective by Carter C. Hudgins.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Insurance Policies

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Interiors (Publications)

Description

Newsletter of the Friends of Drayton.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Landscape Committee Report (1976)

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Lease (1973)

Description

Lease for Drayton Hall, with option to buy, 1973

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Licenses and Permits

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Master Plan (1977)

Description

Drayton Hall Master Plan by Robert Lamb Hart, first version, 1977

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Monthly Reports

Description

Drayton Hall monthly reports, 1980-1985

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

National Trust Annual Meeting (1970)

Description

National Trust annual meeting at Drayton Hall, 1970

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

National Trust Position Paper (1974)

Description

National Trust position on Drayton Hall property, 1974

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

News Articles

Description

Publicity on Drayton Hall, chiefly articles from newspapers and other publications.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Perry History (1975)

Description

Perry's history on Drayton Hall, 1975

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Phosphate Mining

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Porcelain Boxes (Fundraising)

Description

Porcelain box fundraiser

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Promotional Literature

Description

Drayton Hall promotional literature, e.g., brochures, etc.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Property Policy Guidelines (1987)

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

PRT Survey Reports

Description

Property surveys by SC Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT), 1973, 1985

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Quarterly Program Profiles

Description

Quarterly program profiles submitted to National Trust, 1980-1981

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Security

Description

Issues pertaining to security

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Smith Richardson Foundation Grant Application

Description

Grant Request from HCF for Funds for the Purchase and Rehabilitation of Drayton Hall Plantation ...

Date(s) of Creation

1974

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 4

Title

Staff House

Description

Drayton Hall staff house

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 4

Title

Task Force Report (1983)

Description

Task force report to resolve differences, 1983

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 4

Title

Tax Status

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 4

Title

Tish Galbraith's Correspondence

Description

Administrator Letitia (Tish) Gailbraith's correspondence, 1979-

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 4

Title

Tour for "Deaf" (1987)

Description

Tour script for deaf visitors, 1987

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 4

Title

Tri-County Conservancy

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 4

Title

Photographs

Description

One file containing an album of mostly photographs but some descriptive text. Three files of photographs (exteriors, interiors, events at Drayton, etc.).

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 4

Title

Interpretation of Building

Description

Proposed orientation and exhibit program for in interpretation building at Drayton Hall, prepared by Peter A.G. Brown for Robert Lam Hart, Feb-March 1981

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

National Trust Reorganization

Description

Task Force working draft, 1983, entitled "Report of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to the President and Congress on Federal Tax Law and Historic Preservation

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Drayton Papers

Description

Documents (loan agreement, receipts, correspondence, etc.) spanning 1988-1991 regarding the receipt and use of various Drayton papers.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 2

Title

Property Research Team Final Report, June 7, 1976

Description

See Library catalog record 2012.002.093 for description.

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 3

Title

Photographs

Notes

Container: Drayton Hall Document Box 5

Location

Shelf

Plantations Shelves

Room

Margaretta P. Childs Archives

Building

Missroon House

Date

February 7, 2023

Location

Building

Missroon Archives/Plantations Shelves

Location

Shelf

Plantations, Plantations

Room

Margaretta P. Childs Archives

Building

Missroon House

Relationships

Related Entries

Notes

2013.002.016, DRAYTON.002, DRAYTON.003, DRAYTON.004, DRAYTON.005, DRAYTON.006 Related Units of Description: See Drayton-related objects: Drayton Chair #62.3.9), painting of Mary Middleton Drayton (#72.3.4), glass items from Drayton Hall (#72.3.7-9), List of Drayton Slaves (#73.2.3), photographs of Drayton Hall (#73.2.5-9), painting of Henry Edward Drayton (#74.4.1), painting of Mrs. Henry E. Drayton (#74.4.2), portrait of Thomas Drayton (#80.1.2)

Related Publications

Notes

Websites: Drayton Hall (www.draytonhall.org) National Park Service (www.nationaltrust.org)

General Notes

Note

Notes: Image #2, Drayton Hall, SC, Pierre Eugene Du Simitière (born Geneva, Switzerland, 1736-1784), Charleston, South Carolina, 1765, Watercolor and ink on paper, Private Collection. This watercolor is evidence that Drayton Hall was conceived on the five-part profile seen in many of the villas of Andrea Palladio in the Veneto: the colonnades connected the main block to the supporting structures to form a balanced architectural whole. At the center of this symmetrical complex is the iconic Palladian portico, the first constructed in colonial America.

Created By

admin@catalogit.app

Create Date

August 9, 2005

Updated By

admin@catalogit.app

Update Date

February 17, 2023