Drayton Hall, Plantation house near Ashley River, Charleston County, United States
Description
Drayton Hall is a mid-18th-century mansion along the Ashley River in Charleston County that displays Palladian design elements. The west facade features a double projecting portico, while the interior rooms connect in a symmetrical arrangement.
History
John Drayton Senior began construction around 1747 using architectural pattern books popular at the time. The building was completed in 1752 and survived both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars with little damage.
Culture
The property preserves an African-American burial ground that honors the many enslaved people whose labor sustained this plantation. Visitors today can walk the grounds and see how vastly different the worlds of owners and workers were.
Practical
The estate sits along Ashley River Road and opens daily from 9 AM to 5 PM for visitors. Guided house tours and self-led landscape walks are offered, with the grounds easy to explore on foot.
Did you know?
Unlike many other estates in the region, the house was never fitted with electricity or running water. This intentional choice preserves the building in a state that better reflects daily life in the past.
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South Carolina combines American history with coastal landscapes and urban parks. Charleston preserves colonial architecture from the 18th century, including the Nathaniel Russell House and Drayton Hall. Plantations such as Magnolia, Middleton Place, and Boone Hall show the agricultural past and the...
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