Drayton Hall Interiors Newsletter Summer 2014 Collector's Edition

special edition

f r i e n d s of d r a y t o n h a l l

INTERIORSs p e c i a l c o l l e c t o r ’ s e d i t i o n

s u m m e r 2 0 1 4

DIR EC TOR’S NOTES

George W. McDaniel, Ph.D.

For years, Drayton Hall’s fame has rested

on its reputation as an unrestored Palladian

masterpiece in near-original condition.

People from all over the world come to the

site to see this rare form of preserved architecture that dates to the 1740s.

What people don’t see on their visit to Drayton Hall are the wonderful artifacts,

furniture, fine arts, and decorative objects that belong to our collections. These

pieces have been excavated, acquired, or given to Drayton Hall over the past

few decades. Because they are stored on site in a climate-controlled building

not accessible to the public, they have been unseen for years. As you are well

aware, because the main house has never been modernized with heating and

air conditioning systems, our collections cannot be displayed there.

A few years ago, curators from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation began

research for a new exhibit on the material culture and decorative arts of the

colonial South. Upon visiting Drayton Hall, they were amazed by our treasures

and chose 27 objects that illustrate the colonial world of Charleston and the

Lowcountry. According to the Williamsburg curators and other profession-

als, Drayton Hall is in possession of some of the finest examples of colonial

furniture and decorative objects. From our rare Chinese export porcelain

to the Lenhardt Collection of George Edwards watercolors, we are in the

beginning stages of imagining a new home for our astounding collection in

a future interpretive center, so these pieces can not only come back home to

Drayton Hall, but be used to interpret the invaluable stories of the house and

the people who once occupied this site. From John Drayton writing a letter

to his son at his desk and bookcase, to a fragment of Colonoware formed by

the hands of an enslaved person, these pieces all help tell the larger story of

what life was like at Drayton Hall in the 18th century.

DRAYTON HALL SITE COUNCILStephen F. Gates, chairman

Richard Almeida, Catherine Brown Braxton, Lonnie Bunch, Matthew Cochrane-Logan, Edward Crawford, Jane deButts (emeritus), P. Steven Dopp, Chad Drayton, Charles H. Drayton (emeritus), Frank B. Drayton, Eric Emerson, Carl I. Gable, Phil Gaines (designee for Duane Parrish), Marilynn Hill, Kristopher B. King, Douglas Lee, Benjamin Lenhardt, Fulton Lewis, Deborah Mack (designee for Lonnie Bunch), Peter McGee (emeritus), Joseph McGill (honorary), Hampton Morris, Monty Osteen, Jr., Duane Parrish, Suzanne Pollak, Michael Prevost, Anthony C. Wood (emeritus), Connie Wyrick (emeritus)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORGeorge W. McDaniel, Ph. D.

DEPUTY DIRECTORCarter C. Hudgins, Ph.D.

INTERIORS STAFFKristine Morris, editor

Natalie Titcomb, graphic designer

Robert A. Johnson, volunteer proofreader

Design services provided by Josh Korwin of Three Steps Ahead

The mission of Drayton Hall, a historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is to preserve and

interpret Drayton Hall and its environs, in order to educate and inspire people to embrace historic preservation.

EXHIBITING THE CONTENTS OF JOHN DR AY TON’S 18TH-CENTURY PA L ACE

Rare objects help to solidify Drayton Hall’s status as one of America’s most

important elite plantations surviving from the first half of the 18th century.

By Carter C. Hudgins, Ph.D., Deputy DIRECTOR

Shortly after 37-year-old widower John Drayton took up residence at Drayton

Hall with sons William Henry and Charles, his newly constructed home seat

was referenced in the South Carolina Gazette as nothing less than a “Palace

and Gardens.” Thanks to research conducted by a multitude of scholars over

the last 40 years, we now understand Drayton’s palace as the first fully executed

example of Palladian architecture in North America and that his gardens were

composed of idealized English landscapes reminiscent of contemporary grounds

created in England by designers such as Capability Brown. Despite this growing

body of knowledge, the current unfurnished nature of the main house has led

to questions regarding the 18th-century contents of Drayton’s palace. How was

it furnished? What hung on the walls? Were the majority of goods imported or

produced locally? What did the enslaved people cook with?

Helping to answer these and many other questions are more than 550 objects

and 17 linear feet of manuscripts that have been donated by the Drayton

family over the last 40 years, and more than one million artifacts that have

been recovered in archaeological excavations. Drayton Hall’s preservation

department, established in 2006, is charged with curating these materials, and

the research conducted in recent years has shed significant new light on the

overall composition of Drayton Hall and the extraordinary material world that

John Drayton created for his family. In the process, a series of partnerships

have been formed with individuals and institutions that stand to further our

understanding of what may be the most important elite plantation in America

to survive from the first half of the 18th century.

One of the most significant partnerships to date was established between Drayton

Hall and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in the summer of 2009. Since

this date, a total of twenty-seven objects from our collections have been loaned,

“Members of the Drayton family join Drayton Hall

staff and supporters in recognizing an urgent need for a

modern, state-of-the-art Interpretive Center in which

artifacts can be properly stored, studied, and displayed.”

— A N N E D R AY T O N N E L S O N

Eighth-generation descendant of the Drayton family

1670

The Carolina colony was founded and governed by the

Lords Proprieters.

1677, jan. 30

Nicholas Carteret was issued the �rst formal grant for the property that would become Drayton Hall.

1680, march 8

The property was sold to Barbadian merchant Joseph Harbin (d. 1692).

1679, august 9

Edward Mayo acquired the

property that would become Drayton Hall.

2,390–1,425 years ago

Native American occupation of

the Drayton Hall property

during the Middle Woodland period

Early/Middle

Woodland pottery

from the Drayton

Hall Archaeological

Collection

1670s

The Drayton family arrived in colonial South Carolina from Barbados.

The Island of Barbadoes:

Divided into its Parishes,

by Hermann Moll, 1736.

The Drayton family came

from England via Barbados

in the late 17th century.

According to oral history,

the ancestors of another

family, the Bowens, arrived

as slaves with the Draytons.

3,200–2,390years agoNative American occupation of the Drayton Hall property during the Early Woodland period

1200 bce376 bce

5891670

1680

conserved, and displayed as part of a new exhibit entitled A Rich and Varied Culture: The Material

World of the Early South. Launched to the visiting public in February of 2014, the exhibit showcases

objects created, imported, and used in the American South prior to 1840. Such an opportunity,

made possible by Carolyn and Michael McNamara, has allowed Drayton Hall’s objects to take the

stage alongside treasures from private collections and other leading institutions, including Colonial

Williamsburg, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (mesda), The Charleston Museum,

The Winterthur Museum, Washington and Lee University, and Historic Charleston Foundation.

Drayton Hall is honored to be included in Williamsburg’s new exhibit. Many of our objects are on

public display for the first time, and such an occurrence is representative of a cultural shift underway

at Drayton Hall. Research initiatives are expanding beyond the house and landscapes to improve

our understanding of Drayton Hall’s overall composition in the 18th century. Serving as a spring-

board of research and public awareness, Drayton Hall’s partnership with Colonial Williamsburg

will continue to foster investigations of Drayton Hall and fuel an awareness of how John Drayton

outfitted his “palace” with the most elaborate and fashionable goods available in the British Empire.

“The exhibition uses objects to look at the people of the past, so ownership

history was critical. That is what makes the Drayton Hall materials

so important. In every case, we have a solid idea about the identities

and social standing of the people who interacted with the objects. For

instance, John Drayton could have easily commissioned a desk and

bookcase from a Charleston shop, but having a piece of English make

was important enough to warrant the added expense and inconvenience

or ordering from abroad. That sheds a great deal of light on elite

Lowcountry culture in the middle of the eighteenth century.”

— R O N A L D L . H U R S T

Vice President for Collections, Conservation, and Museums, Carlisle H. Humelsine Chief Curator, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

left to right: Drayton Hall’s Dr. Carter C. Hudgins, Deputy Director;

Sarah Stroud Clarke, Archaeologist & Curator of Collections; Trish Smith,

Curator of Historic Architectural Resources

3

3,200–2,390 years ago

Native American occupation of the Drayton Hall property during the Early Woodland period

2,390–1,425 years ago

Native American occupation of the Drayton Hall property during the Middle Woodland period

1670

The Carolina colony was founded and governed by the Lords proprieters.

1677, january 30

Nicholas Carteret was issued with the �rst formal grant for the property that

would become Drayton Hall. 1718, june 17

Grant for the Drayton Hall property was issued to Francis Younge, South Carolina’s Surveyor General (1716–1719) and Colonial Agent (1721–1733), who owned it from 1718 until 1734 when he sold the property to Jordan Roche.

1738, march 2

John Drayton purchased 350 acres on the banks of the Ashley River and begins construction of Drayton Hall.

1752, february 25

John Drayton married his third wife, Margaret Glen

1753, april 5

John’s sons William Henry Drayton (d. 1779) and Charles Drayton (d. 1820) departed South Carolina for England.

1739, september 9–16

Stono Rebellion

porcelain chocolate cups

A pair of Chinese-export porcelain chocolate cups from the �rst quarter of the

eighteenth century was found in 1981 in an archaeological feature that pre-dates the

construction of Drayton Hall. Drinking chocolate was made fashionable in London

during the late seventeenth century by Sir Hans Sloane who added milk and sugar

to chocolate in order to make it more appetizing. Drayton Hall is fortunate to have

such a beautiful example of early chocolate cups in our collection as they exhibit the

close ties to fashionable English taste in an evolving frontier society.

1680, march 3

The property was sold to Barbadian merchant Joseph Harbin (d. 1692)

1670s

The Drayton family arrives in colonial South Carolina from Barbados.

1679, august 9

Edward Mayo acquired the property that would become Drayton Hall.

c.1715

John Drayton, builder of Drayton Hall, was born.

c.1720

Porcelain chocolate cups from China are imported to South Carolina through England and used by Francis Younge.

architectural drawing

This invaluable manuscript is a surviving elevation drawing that was recently gifted to

Drayton Hall from the Historic Charleston Foundation. This document may have been created

by Drayton’s own hand as part of the initial design or later plans to expand his architectural

masterpiece as indicated by the extensive �anking buildings to the north and south that were

never realized. This drawing complements the pattern books in Drayton’s library to illustrate

how a knowledge of classical architecture was combined with contemporary design templates in

an effort to emulate leading British taste and create a unique colonial home seat, which once

served as a powerful mechanism used to broadcast his elite status in colonial Carolina.

c.1738

Architectural drawing developed

tiles

A sample of surviving original architectural items on loan

to Colonial Williamsburg include four English tin-glazed

earthenware tiles with biblical motifs that were once used to

protect and ornament one of Drayton Hall’s thirteen �reboxes

prior to their removal in the 20th century. A total of 48

intact tiles from this set survive in Drayton Hall’s museum

collection and dozens of additional tiles with a variety of

decorations have been recovered through archaeology.c.1740

Tin-glazed earthenware tiles manufactured in London are imported to Drayton Hall for use in �reboxes.

colonoware

This small-handled colonoware jug represents both the diversity

of Drayton Hall’s collections and the lives of the enslaved

people who lived and worked at Drayton Hall during the

18th century. Colonoware is a low-�red earthenware ceramic

that was formed from local clays by slaves. Seven over�owing

boxes of Colonoware sherds have been archaeologically

excavated from Drayton Hall since 1981, and the recovered

vessels illustrate how the enslaved people combined African,

Native American, and European vessel forms and decorative

techniques to create a unique form of pottery in the new world.

c.1740

Colonoware cooking pot created by enslaved people and used at Drayton Hall.

stair bracket

An important architectural element placed on loan

for the new exhibit is a stair bracket from Drayton

Hall’s stair hall. Carved from imported Caribbean

mahogany, this bracket exhibits a degree of

craftsmanship above and beyond what was typical

in the American colonies and was more in keeping

with examples created in the UK, signifying the

role that experienced British craftsmen played in

the construction of Drayton Hall.c.1745

Carribbean mahogany imported to South Carolina is carved into stair brackets used to ornament Drayton Hall’s stair hall.

columns

Several objects linked to Drayton Hall’s

architecture have been loaned to Colonial

Williamsburg for the new exhibit, including

an original 1740s column base from the

�rst �oor of Drayton Hall’s double portico

that was removed, along with associated

columns and capitals, during a repair

campaign carried out by Charles Drayton in

the 1810s. Drayton Hall’s portico, while

visually similar to Palladio’s Villa Cornaro

and Villa Pisani, differs as it projects and

recedes from the main house, making it the

�rst of its kind in the world. Created from

Purbeck limestone imported from England,

Drayton Hall’s portico and this column base

represent how no expense was spared to

create a structure that was extremely

progressive for its period yet in keeping with

the classical architectural vocabulary

popularized by Andrea Palladio.

c.1745

Drayton received imported Purbeck limestone columns for incorporation in the portico of Drayton Hall.

c.1750

Drayton Hall, the house, is completed.

chair

An example of Drayton seating furniture in

our collection and featured in the new exhibit

is a carved mahogany chair that originated

from an English or Scottish workshop in the

1740s or early 1750s. Signi�cantly, the 1820

probate inventory of Charles Drayton includes

a reference to three groups of chairs totaling

52 in number. The chair that survives within

Drayton Hall’s collection, scored with Roman

numeral I on the inside of its back seat rail, is

likely from one of these assemblages, and three

matching examples have been located at the

Henry Ford Museum, Middleton Place, and

Historic Charleston Foundation.

watercolor

Drayton Hall S.C. by Pierre-Eugène Du

Simetière (1736-1784). Dated “1765” on

reverse. Private collection of J. Lockard. The

watercolor depicts the original design and

18th-century appearance of Drayton Hall,

North America’s earliest example of fully

executed Palladian architecture.

wax seal

Wax impression and signature of John Drayton.

Impressed on marriage agreement with

Margaret Glen and her brother Royal Governor

James Glen. Courtesy of the South Caroliniana

Library, University of South Carolina.

1784, january 15

Charles Drayton and family began their residence at Drayton Hall

Charles Drayton, diary entry, January 15,

1784, Drayton Family Paper Collection,

Drayton Hall/NTHP, College of Charleston

Special Collections, Charleston, SC.

1820, august 11

Charles Drayton (1743–1820) died. Drayton Hall ownership goes to

Charles Drayton, Jr. (1785–1844)

Obituary, City Gazette (Charleston, SC),

August 15, 1820.

1861–1865

The Civil War

Drayton Hall is the only Ashley River

plantation house to survive the war intact,

becoming one of Charleston’s great mysteries.

1886

Charleston’s Great Earthquake

Though the epicenter of the earthquake

was just a few miles away, the main house

survived intact; one of its �anker buildings

had to be demolished as it was deemed unsafe.

c.1881–1890s

Pro�ts from phosphate mining allows Draytons to recover from the war.

The existing brick privy was converted into

an of�ce for the mining operation, Charles H.

Drayton & Co., and a �replace installed. In

the main house, the Draytons now repainted

the walls, originally a creamy khaki color, in

shades of blue. Wooden �sh-scale shingles

replaced brickwork in the pediments on both

facades. A balustrade was extended across the

upper portico. New machine-made balusters

and Victorian newel posts completed the

damaged staircase in the stair hall, and a

new roof was added.

c.1900s

Changes to the landscape.

reflecting pond & garden mound

The family excavated part of the land-front lawn by an

aged oak tree and diverted water from a former rice pond

to create a re�ecting pond; the spoils were used to create a

three-tiered garden mound in front of the portico.

1938, june 1

Charles Henry Drayton, Jr. conveyed 1/4 interest of Drayton Hall to his sister, Charlotta Drayton, giving her 3/4 interest

charlotta drayton

Robert P. Stockton, “Drayton Hall: Titular Complexities

and Shifting Boundaries of an Ashley River Plantation”

(unpublished report, Drayton Hall/NTHP, Charleston,

SC, 1985), 14.

2014, february 13

Opening of Williamsburg Exhibit

banner

A Rich & Varied Culture: The Material World of the Early South

2014, february 17

Drayton Hall Reception and Dinner on the campus of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA

president’s house reception & dinner at the wren

building

(See Folder “CW Forum Dinner Images for…”)

Our gratitude to Ben & Cindi Lenhardt for their generous sponsorship of

the truly spectacular Dinner in the Great Hall of the Sir Christopher Wren

Building, c. 1695, the oldest academic building in the United States.

Exhibit Photos - See Folder: 2014 Feb Opening –

choices to be discussed

1969, september 4

Charlotta Drayton died at Flat Rock, North Carolina. Her 3/4 interest was bequeathed to her nephews, Charles Henry Drayton, III and Francis Beatty Drayton

An early preservationist, Charlotta left a provision in her

will asking her nephews not to make any major changes

to the main house. Funeral Notice of Charlotta Drayton,

News & Courier (Charleston, SC), September 5, 1969

1973, january 1

National Trust and HCF enter joint lease for Drayton Hall

“National Trust, Historic Charleston Jointly Lease Drayton

Hall Property,” Preservation News 13, no. 2 (February

1973); Robert P. Stockton, “Preservation Groups Take

Option On Drayton Hall,” News & Courier, January 4,

1973.

1974, november 25

Drayton Hall was conveyed to the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Rather than restoring the house to re�ect a single period

of grandeur, the National Trust made the bold decision

to preserve the site as it was received from the Draytons

in order to provide a timeline showing change and

continuity through three centuries of American history.

“Trust Acquires Drayton Hall Plantation,” Preservation

News 15, no. 1 (January 1975).

1976, may 26

Drayton Hall designated a National Historic Landmark

1980, august

Porcelain teabowls and saucers recovered through excavation of well located to south of South Flanker building.

1981, june

Chocolate cups excavated from pre-Drayton ditch feature found below North Flanker Building.

“Drayton Hall is Landmark,” Charleston Evening Post,

May 26, 1974; “National Landmark,” Charleston

Evening Post, May 31, 1976.

Lynne Lewis report?

1989, september

Hurricane Hugo

1998

Desk and Bookcase given to Drayton Hall by Mr. Charles H. Drayton III and Mrs Martha Drayton Mood.

1998

Clothespress donated to Drayton hall by Mr. Charles H. Drayton III and Mrs Martha Drayton Mood.

2000, december 6

Silver Slave Brand donated to Drayton hall by Charles H. Drayton III.

2007, august 22

Porcelain garniture set given to Drayton Hall by Charles H. Drayton III.

2007, august 22

Porcelain tea service given to Drayton Hall by Charles H. Drayton III.

2009, april 15

Mahogany side chair donated to Drayton hall by Charles H. Drayton III.

2009, july 7

Desk and Bookcase transported to Williamsburg ahead of conservation

2008, february 1 and 2009, november 26

Four of 12 known porcelain plates donated by Anne Drayton Nelson and Molly Drayton Osteen

The house survived intact, but the storm’s high winds

destroyed the tree canopy that protected the azaleas, and

their resultant exposure caused their gradual decline. Seven

years later, the ground staff would transplant surviving

azaleas from the riverfront lawn to the allee, rede�ning

two distinct layers of the landscape in accordance with the

Landscape Master Plan.

Photo of Charles H. Drayton III 4 FAMILLE ROSE PLATES

2012, november 13

Other objects packaged for shipment to Virginia

SEE FOLDER “Other Objects Transport and Conservation”

1981, june–july

Sherds of Colonoware vessel excavated from within footprint of North Flanker Building.

1844, july 6

Charles Drayton, Jr. (1785–1844) died. Drayton Hall ownership goes to wife, Mary Middleton Shoolbred Drayton, Charles Drayton 3rd, James S. Drayton, Thomas H.M. Drayton, and John Drayton

Notes in The Illustrated Bible, Containing

Old and New Testaments, translated out of

the Original Tongues (New York: Harper &

Brothers, 1846), Genealogical Archive, DH/NTHP,

Charleston, SC, photocopy; Robert P. Stockton,

“Drayton Hall: Titular Complexities and Shifting

Boundaries of an Ashley River Plantation”

(unpublished report, Drayton Hall/NTHP,

Charleston, SC, 1985), 12.

1802

Charles Drayton made the �rst major changes to the main house.

withdrawing room

This 3D rendering of Drayton Hall’s withdrawing room by Trish Smith, curator of historic architectural

resources, depicts the original Georgian mantel. Charles replaced three Georgian mantels with Federal-style

mantels in the withdrawing room, the library, and the dining room on the �rst �oor. Smith’s 3D modelling

allows clues identi�ed through architectural research to be virtually reconstructed.Dr. Charles Drayton, 1818

By Charles Fraser (American, 1782–1860)

Watercolor on ivory

© Image courtesy of the Gibbes Museum of Art

c.1750

Carved mahogany side chair purchased by John Drayton. In 2009, Charles H. Drayton, III facilitated the donation of the chair to Drayton Hall.

ceramics

Additional 18th-century items placed on loan to Colonial

Williamsburg include a host of ceramics that have both been

recovered archaeologically and donated by Drayton family members.

These objects help to illustrate the richness of Drayton Hall’s interiors

and John Drayton’s access to goods from around the world. Within

Drayton Hall’s archaeological collection, porcelains are some of the

most commonly identi�ed artifacts. Chinese, Japanese, and even

locally produced Bartlam porcelains are present, and nearly all

can be associated with the occupation periods of John Drayton and

his son Charles. Sherds from several dozen vessels including plates,

cups, bowls, teapots, sauce boats, and multiple garniture sets have

been recovered, including four teabowls and saucers with overglaze

decoration depicting a pair of cranes and mosquitoes.

Two examples from this service, probably owned by John Drayton,

are featured in the new exhibit along with one of 12 Famille Rose

plates found in our museum collection and within private collections.

Additional porcelain examples on display in the new exhibit were

probably purchased by Charles Drayton. These include a three-piece

garniture set (above, left) as well as components of a blue and white

porcelain tea service with delicate gilt overglaze decoration (below, left).

Collectively, these objects signify the enthusiasm that the Draytons had

for fashionable Asian export luxury goods.

c.1780

Porcelain garniture set created in Jingdezhen, China, and purchased by Charles Drayton for use in Drayton Hall. In 2007, the set was donated to Drayton Hall by Charles H. Drayton, III.

ceiling medallion

The family installed a third ceiling in the lower great hall.

Made of cast plaster with a large center medallion, it still

adorns the space today.

c.1850s

Lower Great Hall Ceiling

c.1780

Chinese-export porcelain tea service purchased by Charles Drayton in the late 18th century and donated to Drayton Hall in 2007 by Charles H. Drayton, III. Archaeological excavations since 1975 have recovered hundreds of other porcelain objects.

This porcelain plate is decorated with opaque enamels using the

Famille Rose decorative technique; part of a 12-piece set that descended

within the Drayton family from the 18th century.

1740–1750

Porcelain plates created in Jingdezhen, China, and received by the Drayton family for use in Drayton Hall. In 2008 and 2009, four porcelain plates were donated to Drayton Hall by Anne Drayton Nelson and Molly Drayton Osteen.

brand

Central to the operation of Drayton’s commercial empire was slave labor, and a particularly

powerful artifact representing the conditions faced by enslaved workers and featured in the

new exhibit is a brand bearing the mark of the Drayton surname preceded by the letter I from

the classical Roman alphabet that did not contain the letter J. Analysis of the brand has

identi�ed that the die face is composed of silver, and concurrent research has determined that

silver brands were commonly used to mark enslaved people in the Caribbean. One of several

contemporary references to this practice comes from Bryan Edwards who noted in 1794 that

“it is custom among some of the planters in Jamaica, to mark the initials of their names on

the shoulder or breast or each newly-purchased Negro by means of a small silver brand heated

in the �ame of spirits.” Given the fact that the Drayton brand is composed of silver and that

silver brands appear to have been used in the 18th century to brand enslaved people, it is

highly likely that the object was employed to mark people of African and Native American

ancestry owned by John Drayton. How often this brand was employed is currently unknown,

as are details pertaining to who may have been branded. The brand could have strictly been

used for punishment or for marking a particular class of enslaved people such as those that

routinely carried out tasks away from Drayton owned plantations.

1740–1770

Silver brand created in either England or America and used by John Drayton to mark enslaved people. Silver brand was donated to Drayton Hall by Charles H. Drayton, III in 2000.

desk and bookcase

The crown jewel of Drayton Hall’s museum collection is John Drayton’s desk and bookcase. Produced in England during the second quarter of the 18th century, it

was loaned to Colonial Williamsburg for inclusion in the new exhibit. An incredible amount of conservation was carried out by Williamsburg conservators between

2009–2013 to stabilize the object and restore the visual intent of its maker, who still remains a mystery. This extraordinary object was created from woods gathered

from every continent with the exception of Antarctica, �tted with elaborate gilt hardware, and ornamented with delicate wooden and tortoise shell inlay. The ornate

prospect found in the desk is mirrored on all sides with the exception of the parquet �oor, and an amazing total of 13 secret compartments have been identi�ed along

with evidence of an original beveled mirror that once fronted the bookcase. Such an object, complete with its Palladian architectural in�uences, complements the

design of Drayton Hall and emphasizes John Drayton’s attention to contemporary English fashion and access to international supply networks.

1745–1755

John Drayton’s Desk and Bookcase fabricated in England and transported to Drayton Hall. Gift of Mr. Charles H. Drayton, III and Mrs. Martha Drayton Mood.

william henry drayton (1742-1779)

All of John Drayton’s sons would support the American cause in

the Revolution against Britain, but none contributed as much as

William Henry, John’s oldest son by his second wife Charlotta Bull.

William Henry was appointed to the South Carolina provincial

congress, served as its president, issued the state’s �rst order to

�re on the British, oversaw the formation of South Carolina’s

�rst constitution, served as South Carolina’s First Chief Justice,

designed half of the state seal, and played a role in national politics

when he was appointed to be a member of the 2nd Continental

Congress where he served until his death in 1779.

1765–1783

The American Revolution

clothespress

A second example of case furniture that has been loaned to Williamsburg for inclusion in the new exhibit is a clothespress.

Fabricated in Charleston by Jacob Sass between 1785 and 1790, this clothespress was likely purchased by Charles Drayton

shortly after his move to Drayton Hall in 1784, and demonstrates diverse sources of inspiration that in�uenced the stylistic

development of Charleston’s furniture producers. Throughout conservation, veneers were reattached, reproductions of the

original drawer pulls replaced the knobs that were attached in the late 19th century, the foot blocks were stabilized and a

signi�cant degree of surface cleaning removed dirt and grime to reestablish the contrast between light wood stringers and

cypress paneling. The end result is a stunning example of Charleston case furniture, and evidence of how the Drayton

family followed the contemporary fashions �owing from Charleston that were put forth by a range of continental artisans.

1785–1790

Clothespress manufactured in Charleston by Jacob Sass for Charles Drayton. Donated to Drayton Hall in 1998 by Mr. Charles H. Drayton, III and Mrs. Martha Drayton Mood.

In anticipation of the British army’s arrival

at Drayton Hall, John and his family �ed;

while crossing the Cooper River at Strawberry

Ferry, John suffered a seizure, died, and was

buried in an unmarked grave.

1779

John Drayton died at Strawberry Ferry

The Island of Barbadoes: Divided

into its Parishes, by Hermann Moll,

1736. The family came from England

via Barbados in the late 17th century.

According to oral history, the ancestors

of another family, the Bowens, arrived


“Drayton Hall provides one of the earliest and most sophisticated

examples of a house in which the original extant furniture and the

architectural features of the building were designed as a whole.”

— R A L P H H A R VA R D

Interior Designer, Architectural Historian and Preservationist, Vice President of the Decorative Arts Trust

“The desk and bookcase just gleamed and was proof that

Drayton Hall was at the top of the charts in terms of

sophisticated decorative arts. It will be wonderful to have

these objects back at Drayton Hall after the exhibit ends

so that Lowcountry residents and visitors can see these

beautiful 18th-century artifacts.” — B E N L E N H A R D T

Drayton Hall Site Council

“That John Drayton purchased a

telescope to observe the Transit of Venus

reveals his interest in science and

connects him to an impressive group

of intellectuals, including Benjamin

Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.”

— M A R G A R E T P R I T C H A R D

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Curator of Maps, Prints, and Wallpaper

“We are dealing with one of the most

remarkable survivals of 18th-century

furniture associated with a known

18th-century house anywhere.”

— T O M S AVA G E

Director of Museum A�airs, Winterthur Museum

“Drayton Hall’s linen press, attributed to the shop of Jacob Sass

(1750– 1836), exempli�es the acculturation of Charleston’s

German School of cabinetmakers in the �nal decades of the

eighteenth century.”— G A R Y A L B E R T

Editorial Director, Editor of the MESDA Journal, Old Salem Museums & Gardens

“The 66th Annual Colonial Williamsburg

Antiques Forum was my �rst. The conference

was beautifully organized with exceptional

speakers and the Drayton Hall collection was

tastefully exhibited with the objects shining

and beautifully placed. It was an exceptional

way to put Drayton Hall on the map!”

— M I M I C AT H C A R T

Former member of the Drayton Hall Advisory Site Council

“What a wonderful experience to see such a broad

and varied display of items from the Drayton Hall

collection at such a national and historic venue.

The exhibit will provide an excellent opportunity

to further expose the mission of Drayton Hall’s

preservation and historical research to others. I hope

that the Williamsburg setting will be the spark for

Drayton Hall to create an interpretive center where

it will be able to continue to display its collections

along with its architectural gem.”

— F R A N K B . D R AY T O N , J R .

8th generation Drayton family descendant

1200 bce 376 bce 589 1670 1680 1715 1720 1738 1739 1740 1745 1755 1760 1770 1779 1780 1785 1790 1800 18201750

1715–1718

Yamasee War

telescope

As exempli�ed by specialized lenses, this was

used to witness the Transit of Venus on June

6, 1761, one of the most eagerly anticipated

celestial events of the colonial period.

c.1760

Brass re¢ecting telescope fabricated in London, England, and purchased by John Drayton soon after. Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Drayton Collection.

Drayton Hall Archaeological Collection

miniature portrait of charles (left), print of william henry (opposite page, lower left)

John Drayton sent his sons to Westminster school in London, a

traditional boarding school where the classics were emphasized.

Dancing, fencing, and music lessons balanced academic training

that focused on Greek and Latin, rhetoric and logic. Their later

educations took place at Oxford and Edinburgh.

John Drayton’s handwritten arithmetic book, signed and dated

1733. Drayton Family Paper Collection, Drayton Hall/NTHP,

College of Charleston Special Collections, Charleston, SC.

Stono Rebellion—Horrid Massacre …

1831, Library of Congress

The largest slave uprising in the

British mainland colonies.

A bloody con�ict between Native Americans

and British settlers of colonial South Carolina.

Detail of Massacre …

c. 1836, Library of Congress

Archaeologist and Curator

of Collections Sarah

Stroud Clarke points to the

pre-Drayton Foundation.

buckshot and musket ball (below)

Sample assemblage of lead buckshot and musket ball recovered

from south �anker well. Soldiers in the American Revolution

commonly combined small shot with a musket ball in their

ri�es to create the devastating impact of a full-size ball with the

spreading pattern of a shotgun when �red.

bronze side plate from rifle

This was used to secure the �intlock mechanism

to the gun stock. Stamped with the initials “H.G.”

flintlock mechanism from rifle

Recovered from the front lawn of Drayton Hall in 2003,

this artifact could have been deposited by one of the

many soldiers who occupied Drayton Hall during the

revolution. The Hammer of the �intlock held a piece of

�int which, when released by the trigger, would spark

and ignite gunpowder held in

the pan below.

4

3,200–2,390 years ago


2,390–1,425 years ago


1670


1677, january 30




1738, march 2


1752, february 25


1753, april 5



Stono Rebellion









1680, march 3


1670s


1679, august 9


c.1715


c.1720











c.1738


tiles










colonoware











c.1740


stair bracket











columns





















c.1745


c.1750


chair















watercolor








wax seal






1784, january 15






1820, august 11




August 15, 1820.

1861–1865

The Civil War




1886






c.1881–1890s













new roof was added.

c.1900s







1938, june 1


charlotta drayton




SC, 1985), 14.

2014, february 13


banner


2014, february 17



building







1969, september 4






1973, january 1






1973.

1974, november 25









1976, may 26


1980, august


1981, june





Lynne Lewis report?

1989, september

Hurricane Hugo

1998


1998


2000, december 6


2007, august 22


2007, august 22


2009, april 15


2009, july 7












2012, november 13



1981, june–july


1844, july 6











1802


withdrawing room






Watercolor on ivory


c.1750


ceramics























c.1780


ceiling medallion




c.1850s


c.1780





1740–1750


brand

















1740–1770


desk and bookcase








1745–1755













1765–1783


clothespress









1785–1790







1779

































— T O M S AVA G E




























1200 bce 376 bce 589 1670 1680 1715 1720 1738 1739 1740 1745 1755 1760 1770 1779 1780 1785 1790 1800 18201750

1715–1718

Yamasee War

telescope





c.1760








































the pan below.

5

3,200–2,390 years ago


2,390–1,425 years ago


1670


1677, january 30




1738, march 2


1752, february 25


1753, april 5



Stono Rebellion









1680, march 3


1670s


1679, august 9


c.1715


c.1720











c.1738


tiles










colonoware











c.1740


stair bracket











columns





















c.1745


c.1750


chair















watercolor








wax seal






1784, january 15






1820, august 11




August 15, 1820.

1861–1865

The Civil War




1886






c.1881–1890s













new roof was added.

c.1900s







1938, june 1


charlotta drayton




SC, 1985), 14.

2014, february 13


banner


2014, february 17



building







1969, september 4






1973, january 1






1973.

1974, november 25









1976, may 26


1980, august


1981, june





Lynne Lewis report?

1989, september

Hurricane Hugo

1998


1998


2000, december 6


2007, august 22


2007, august 22


2009, april 15


2009, july 7












2012, november 13



1981, june–july


1844, july 6











1802


withdrawing room






Watercolor on ivory


c.1750


ceramics























c.1780


ceiling medallion




c.1850s


c.1780





1740–1750


brand

















1740–1770


desk and bookcase








1745–1755













1765–1783


clothespress









1785–1790







1779

































— T O M S AVA G E




























1200 bce 376 bce 589 1670 1680 1715 1720 1738 1739 1740 1745 1755 1760 1770 1779 1780 1785 1790 1800 18201750

1715–1718

Yamasee War

telescope





c.1760








































the pan below.

6

3,200–2,390 years ago


2,390–1,425 years ago


1670


1677, january 30




1738, march 2


1752, february 25


1753, april 5



Stono Rebellion









1680, march 3


1670s


1679, august 9


c.1715


c.1720











c.1738


tiles










colonoware











c.1740


stair bracket











columns





















c.1745


c.1750


chair















watercolor








wax seal






1784, january 15






1820, august 11




August 15, 1820.

1861–1865

The Civil War




1886






c.1881–1890s













new roof was added.

c.1900s







1938, june 1


charlotta drayton




SC, 1985), 14.

2014, february 13


banner


2014, february 17



building







1969, september 4






1973, january 1






1973.

1974, november 25









1976, may 26


1980, august


1981, june





Lynne Lewis report?

1989, september

Hurricane Hugo

1998


1998


2000, december 6


2007, august 22


2007, august 22


2009, april 15


2009, july 7












2012, november 13



1981, june–july


1844, july 6











1802


withdrawing room






Watercolor on ivory


c.1750


ceramics























c.1780


ceiling medallion




c.1850s


c.1780





1740–1750


brand

















1740–1770


desk and bookcase








1745–1755













1765–1783


clothespress









1785–1790







1779

































— T O M S AVA G E




























1200 bce 376 bce 589 1670 1680 1715 1720 1738 1739 1740 1745 1755 1760 1770 1779 1780 1785 1790 1800 18201750

1715–1718

Yamasee War

telescope





c.1760








































the pan below.

7

3,200–2,390 years ago


2,390–1,425 years ago


1670


1677, january 30




1738, march 2


1752, february 25


1753, april 5



Stono Rebellion









1680, march 3


1670s


1679, august 9


c.1715


c.1720











c.1738


tiles










colonoware











c.1740


stair bracket











columns





















c.1745


c.1750


chair















watercolor








wax seal






1784, january 15






1820, august 11




August 15, 1820.

1861–1865

The Civil War




1886






c.1881–1890s













new roof was added.

c.1900s







1938, june 1


charlotta drayton




SC, 1985), 14.

2014, february 13


banner


2014, february 17



building







1969, september 4






1973, january 1






1973.

1974, november 25









1976, may 26


1980, august


1981, june





Lynne Lewis report?

1989, september

Hurricane Hugo

1998


1998


2000, december 6


2007, august 22


2007, august 22


2009, april 15


2009, july 7












2012, november 13



1981, june–july


1844, july 6











1802


withdrawing room






Watercolor on ivory


c.1750


ceramics























c.1780


ceiling medallion




c.1850s


c.1780





1740–1750


brand

















1740–1770


desk and bookcase








1745–1755













1765–1783


clothespress









1785–1790







1779

































— T O M S AVA G E




























1200 bce 376 bce 589 1670 1680 1715 1720 1738 1739 1740 1745 1755 1760 1770 1779 1780 1785 1790 1800 18201750

1715–1718

Yamasee War

telescope





c.1760








































the pan below.

8

3,200–2,390 years ago


2,390–1,425 years ago


1670


1677, january 30




1738, march 2


1752, february 25


1753, april 5



Stono Rebellion









1680, march 3


1670s


1679, august 9


c.1715


c.1720











c.1738


tiles










colonoware











c.1740


stair bracket











columns





















c.1745


c.1750


chair















watercolor








wax seal






1784, january 15






1820, august 11




August 15, 1820.

1861–1865

The Civil War




1886






c.1881–1890s













new roof was added.

c.1900s







1938, june 1


charlotta drayton




SC, 1985), 14.

2014, february 13


banner


2014, february 17



building







1969, september 4






1973, january 1






1973.

1974, november 25









1976, may 26


1980, august


1981, june





Lynne Lewis report?

1989, september

Hurricane Hugo

1998


1998


2000, december 6


2007, august 22


2007, august 22


2009, april 15


2009, july 7












2012, november 13



1981, june–july


1844, july 6











1802


withdrawing room






Watercolor on ivory


c.1750


ceramics























c.1780


ceiling medallion




c.1850s


c.1780





1740–1750


brand

















1740–1770


desk and bookcase








1745–1755













1765–1783


clothespress









1785–1790







1779

































— T O M S AVA G E




























1200 bce 376 bce 589 1670 1680 1715 1720 1738 1739 1740 1745 1755 1760 1770 1779 1780 1785 1790 1800 18201750

1715–1718

Yamasee War

telescope





c.1760








































the pan below.

9

3,200–2,390 years ago


2,390–1,425 years ago


1670


1677, january 30




1738, march 2


1752, february 25


1753, april 5



Stono Rebellion









1680, march 3


1670s


1679, august 9


c.1715


c.1720











c.1738


tiles










colonoware











c.1740


stair bracket











columns





















c.1745


c.1750


chair















watercolor








wax seal






1784, january 15






1820, august 11




August 15, 1820.

1861–1865

The Civil War




1886






c.1881–1890s













new roof was added.

c.1900s







1938, june 1


charlotta drayton




SC, 1985), 14.

2014, february 13


banner


2014, february 17



building







1969, september 4






1973, january 1






1973.

1974, november 25









1976, may 26


1980, august


1981, june





Lynne Lewis report?

1989, september

Hurricane Hugo

1998


1998


2000, december 6


2007, august 22


2007, august 22


2009, april 15


2009, july 7












2012, november 13



1981, june–july


1844, july 6











1802


withdrawing room






Watercolor on ivory


c.1750


ceramics























c.1780


ceiling medallion




c.1850s


c.1780





1740–1750


brand

















1740–1770


desk and bookcase








1745–1755













1765–1783


clothespress









1785–1790







1779

































— T O M S AVA G E




























1200 bce 376 bce 589 1670 1680 1715 1720 1738 1739 1740 1745 1755 1760 1770 1779 1780 1785 1790 1800 18201750

1715–1718

Yamasee War

telescope





c.1760








































the pan below.

10

3,200–2,390 years ago


2,390–1,425 years ago


1670


1677, january 30




1738, march 2


1752, february 25


1753, april 5



Stono Rebellion









1680, march 3


1670s


1679, august 9


c.1715


c.1720











c.1738


tiles










colonoware











c.1740


stair bracket











columns





















c.1745


c.1750


chair















watercolor








wax seal






1784, january 15






1820, august 11




August 15, 1820.

1861–1865

The Civil War




1886






c.1881–1890s













new roof was added.

c.1900s







1938, june 1


charlotta drayton




SC, 1985), 14.

2014, february 13


banner


2014, february 17



building







1969, september 4






1973, january 1






1973.

1974, november 25









1976, may 26


1980, august


1981, june





Lynne Lewis report?

1989, september

Hurricane Hugo

1998


1998


2000, december 6


2007, august 22


2007, august 22


2009, april 15


2009, july 7












2012, november 13



1981, june–july


1844, july 6











1802


withdrawing room






Watercolor on ivory


c.1750


ceramics























c.1780


ceiling medallion




c.1850s


c.1780





1740–1750


brand

















1740–1770


desk and bookcase








1745–1755













1765–1783


clothespress









1785–1790







1779

































— T O M S AVA G E




























1200 bce 376 bce 589 1670 1680 1715 1720 1738 1739 1740 1745 1755 1760 1770 1779 1780 1785 1790 1800 18201750

1715–1718

Yamasee War

telescope





c.1760








































the pan below.

11

|

º

Total Recovered Fiber All Post-Consumer Fiber

PAID

10%

66

A celebratory dinner in the historic Wren Building on the campus of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA.

Drayton Hall wishes to thank Cindy and Ben Lenhardt (above) for their planning,

design, and generous sponsorship of the elegant dinner to celebrate the opening

of the exhibit. The event took place in the Great Hall of the Sir Christopher

Wren Building, circa 1695, the oldest academic building in the United States.

Drayton Hall Distinguished Speakers Series

Thursday, September 18th at 7:00pm

Don’t miss Ron Hurst, Vice President for

Collections, Conservation and Museums, The

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, when he

discusses A Rich and Varied Culture: The Material

World of the Early South. Hailed as groundbreak-

ing, it covers the 17th century through 1840

with a spectacular variety of media from four

geographic regions of the South.

www.draytonhalldistinguishedspeakers.org

To purchase tickets to the Colonial

Williamsburg Exhibit featuring 27 objects

from Drayton Hall’s collections, visit:

www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/do/

art-museums/wallace-museum/arts-of-the-south

Post-conservation photos courtesy of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Drayton Hall Interiors Newsletter Summer 2014 Collector's Edition

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Transcript of Drayton Hall Interiors Newsletter Summer 2014 Collector's Edition