Bygone Years

Drayton Hall: The first settlement stands at Albemarle Point along the Ashley River, where Charles Towne Landing, a historic site, is located today. (Built between 1738 and 1742 near Charleston, SC)

A house standing empty of people, but not empty of their spirit. Drayton Hall was on our agenda to visit while vacationing in South Carolina recently.  Built in the 18th century, it has seen much history and the land surrounding it, even more. The house was purchased in 1974 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and remains in the same condition it was at the time of purchase except for repairs made to insure the safety of visitors to Drayton.

The history of a place such as Drayton is intriguing to me.  This particular house and its 400+ acres has seen armies from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Troops were camped on the lawns during both wars with officers setting up headquarters within the house on more than one occasion.  When other towns and cities all around Drayton Hall were being burned down, an outbreak of smallpox was the cause for the house to be under quarantine.  For whatever reason, be it because of the outbreak of smallpox or other cause, Drayton Hall was spared and still stands today as an open history book for us to read.

If you are ever around Charleston, SC, with an interest in plantations, visit Drayton House. It will leave you in awe of how it has been preserved.