Drayton Hall House Tour--See One of the Lowcountry's Greatest Architectural Treasures

Founded in 1738, Drayton Hall is a preeminent example of Georgian-Palladian architecture in the United States. It is one of the most significant, undisturbed historic landscapes open for public viewing. Its amazing and timeless wood and plaster carvings are a testimony to the artful skills of the master craftsmen of the day. The stories told offer a brief glimpse into the people who lived and served within its majestic walls. All of which have been preserved in their original true to life state of being, unvarnished both physically and spiritually.

Upon arrival, you will want to check in, and you do this at the gift shop. While you wait for the house tour to start, and you are encouraged to do this, you can take a self guided stroll around the visitor center. A brief orientation film is offered in the Stephen F. and Laura D. Gates Gallery along with a full-wall time line. The adjacent room, in the same building, includes rotating exhibitions of decorative arts objects that once belonged to the Drayton family, examples of authentic house furniture, archaeological artifacts related to the estate and its inhabitants, as well as archival materials and architectural fragments.

Anchoring the visitor center, the Lenhardt Garden surrounds a sprawling 200-year-old oak tree. The plantings are historically inspired, with horticultural specimens related to John Drayton's botanical lists. There is a grouping of benches upon which you can sit and soak in the tranquil surroundings and enjoy the seasonal flora and fauna.

The exhibit in the caretaker's house highlights the post-Civil War period and the 20th century at Drayton Hall. Constructed in 1870, the caretaker's house was built for the caretaker to watch over the main house and grounds while phosphate was mined on the property. The house has been rehabilitated to serve as a conditioned exhibit space, creating opportunities to see layers of its construction and decorative materials. Of course, you can enjoy these three amenities any time before or after your tour.

Once the tour begins, the guide introduced us to the complex where it begins. Then explains the radical decision that was made to preserve the seven generations of history within Drayton Hall's walls. The choice was made to stabilize the house rather than restore it to a particular period, and to preserve it as it was acquired from the family in the 1970s. All imperfections and changes over time have survived to the present.

Next, we were led to an archeological dig next to the main house. It reveals what was originally one of the flanker buildings that once upon a time stood on each side of the main house and connected by a tall brick colonnade. It is an essential element of a one time unknown surprising twist in the house's history.

Drayton Hall is unquestionably not without its mysteries, both surreal and real. The most recent and famous occurred in 2007 when one of its staff members received an anonymous package containing the photograph of a watercolor painting of Drayton Hall purported to be date back to 1765. The envelope it arrived in was simply postmarked 22602-6754 with the words ATT: Back in The Day. The numbers were found to be a Winchester, VA zip code.

Up to that moment, no 18th-century image of Drayton Hall had ever been found. The earliest dated to c. 1845. The mystery was deepened further by what they saw depicted in the watercolor. It presented an image of Drayton Hall never seen before. It showed the Palladian brick building surrounded by low colonnades. Inspired by this revelation, archaeologists dug into the museum's lawn, where 18th-century foundation marks were found, suggesting the 1765 drawing of a u-shaped colonnade was an accurate portrayal.

The tour moved to the main house beginning in the cellar, which housed mainly the kitchen. From there, we exited to the grand portico, the first floor, and finally the second floor. After entertaining and thought provoking stories on each floor about the people who lived and worked in the house, we were turned loose to go wherever we wanted at our own leisure. Before exiting the property, we took the solemn stroll through the African American Cemetery.

If you are looking for the complete southern experience, Drayton Hall should be on your list. From the moment you enter the gate and drive up the narrow causeway toward the columned portico's of the house's stunning front entrance, you sense a change in time. And, when you ascend the stone stairs facing the Ashley River and step through the door, the sudden rush of humid antebellum air swoops you back to an era of ballroom serenades, afternoon tea, and plantation living both elegant and controversial.

Voted the Best Place to See by Condé Nast Traveler.

Tickets for the House Tour

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