P R E S E R V A T I O N T R U S T

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

INTERIORS

P R E S E R V A T I O N T R U S T C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 4

Volume 34 NO. 1 spring summer 2015

On November 6, 1989, George W. McDaniel, Ph.D., started his job as Executive Director of Drayton Hall. He arrived in the wake of an unexpected visit by a most unruly and uninvited visitor, Hurricane Hugo. For others, victory might have been just getting Drayton Hall back to its pre-Hugo status, but not for George. From that point on, until his retirement in June of this year, he has consistently been upping the bar at Drayton Hall, establishing it as a truly world-class historic site.

Unlike sites whose narratives are restricted to their own story and whose preservation concerns stop at their gates, because of George’s broader vision, Drayton Hall has used its compelling history to connect visitors to multiple larger historic themes and to instill in them a preservation ethic that they take home with them. By doing so, George has established Drayton Hall not only as a preserved site but as a site dedicated to preser-vation itself.

George’s success at Drayton Hall is not solely the result of his preservation philosophy; much of it has to do with the man behind the philosophy. If one only looks at George’s impres-sive professional credentials: an undergraduate degree from Sewanee, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Brown, and a Ph.D from Duke, and his professional experiences at the Center for Southern Folklore and the Atlanta History Center, one might mistakenly assume George is some “lost in another century” history nerd. However, his fuller resume—a stint in Togo, West Africa, with the Peace Corps and serving our country in the First Infantry Division, U.S. Army in Vietnam—suggests there is more to him. But even that doesn’t reveal the George that one only gets to know by spending time with him.

George is great fun. He possess a true joie de vivre. He is a gifted raconteur—a true storyteller. He is a man of many inter-ests and talents—a true Renaissance man—give him half a

A COMPELLING LEGACY

by Anthony C. WoodTrustee, Drayton Hall preservation trust

Photo by Morgan Livingston

d r a y t o n h a l l

2

Since establishing its Preservation Depart-ment in 2006, Drayton Hall has dramatically improved the stewardship and research of the site’s rich historic resources. The impressive gains made over the last nine years are, without question, tied to the hiring of a curatorial staff that is knowledgeable, skilled, and committed.

The stewardship of the main house now rests in the hands of a passionate team of dedicated preservationists; our histori-cally important landscape is seeing an extraordinary rebirth through the skilled efforts of our professional horticulturist and technicians; and our internationally significant archaeo-logical and decorative arts collections are achieving a greater level of awareness and acclaim, reflecting the meticulous work and comprehensive management by our resident archaeolo-gist and curator of collections.

Given Drayton Hall’s significance and the efforts of our special-ized staff, it is only fitting to dedicate a portion of Interiors to our curators in order to bring our friends the latest discoveries, acquisitions, breakthroughs, and opportunities. Beginning with this issue, Interiors will feature a regular segment known as the “Curator’s Column”, allowing our curatorial staff to keep you apprised of the world-class work being conducted to maintain one of North America’s greatest colonial estates.

In this introductory edition, I am honored to highlight our senior curators as you will be hearing from them directly in this and future issues of Interiors.

CURATOR'S COLUMN

BOARD OF TRUSTEESChair Stephen F. (Steve) Gates, Vice Chair Edward E. Crawford, Vice Chair W. Hampton Morris, Treasurer H. Montague (Monty) Osteen, Jr., Secretary Marilynn Wood Hill, Richard Almeida, Nathan (Nate) Berry, Mary (MeMe) Black, Catherine Brown Braxton, Amelia (Mimi) Cathcart, Matthew Cochrane-Logan, P. Steven (Steve) Dopp, Frank B. Drayton, Jr., Carl I. Gable, John B. Hildreth, Kristopher B. King, Douglas B. (Doug) Lee, Benjamin F. Lenhardt, Jr., Fulton D. (Tony) Lewis, Jr., Deborah Mack, Michael B. Prevost, Thomas W. (Woody) Rash, Jr., Anthony C. (Tony) Wood

ACTING PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTORCarter C. Hudgins, Ph.D.

INTERIORS STAFFKristine Morris, Editor

Natalie Titcomb, graphic designer

Robert A. Johnson, volunteer proofreader

by carter c. Hudgins, Ph.D., acting president and executive director

Sarah Stroud Clarke – Curator of Collections & ArchaeologySarah is responsible for Drayton Hall’s Museum, Archival, and Archaeological Collections and oversees the archaeological laboratory and excavations on site. She came to Drayton Hall as the 2007 Drayton Hall Wood Family Fellow and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Anthropology at Syracuse University. Sarah received her M.A. degree in Anthropology from San Diego State University and her bachelor’s degree in American History from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. Prior to Dray-ton Hall, Sarah worked as an archaeologist, including at the original 1607 James Fort at Jamestown, Virginia, and Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest in Bedford, Virginia. At Drayton Hall Sarah has helped establish and further our partnership with the Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery (DAACS) at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello—part of an effort to catalog Drayton Hall’s one million+ excavated artifacts—and is also developing a strategy to conserve and exhibit Drayton Hall’s museum collection.

Patricia “Trish” Smith – Curator of Historic Architectural ResourcesTrish provides care for Drayton Hall’s historic buildings along with associated artifacts and archival records. After graduating with a B.A. in Art History from the University of South Carolina Honors College, Smith received her M.S. from the Clemson University and College of Charleston joint graduate program in Historic Preservation. Trish came to Drayton Hall in 2010 as a Wood Family Fellow, and joined the staff permanently upon completion of her fellowship. In 2013, she was awarded a res-idential fellowship at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s Digital History Center to study the application of 3D visualiza-tion technology for the documentation and interpretation of cultural heritage sites. At Drayton Hall she has assembled the site’s first preservation archive, carried out several architec-tural conservation projects, launched a digital restoration of Drayton Hall, and is currently managing the rehabilitation of Drayton Hall’s iconic portico.

Eric Becker – Manager of Landscapes, Horticulture, & Modern FacilitiesA native of Missouri, Eric received his B.S. in Agriculture/Horticulture with a minor in History from Southeast Missouri State University. He served as a gardener supervisor and proj-ect manager for the St. Louis Department of Parks before becoming the horticulturalist and director of grounds for the Historic Columbia Foundation in South Carolina. Since joining Drayton Hall in 2009, Eric has successfully implemented the 2003 Historic Landscape Master Plan and is actively working to develop an expanded plan intended to increase the care of our landscapes and provide more access and interpretation for our guests. Essential to Eric’s planning has been his research of Drayton Hall’s archival collection where he has compiled a horticultural history of the site, including notable individuals that exchanged plants with Charles Drayton.

The mission of the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust is to research, preserve, and interpret Drayton Hall, its

collections, and environs, in order to educate the public and to inspire people to embrace historic preservation.

i n t e r i o r s s p r i n g s u m m e r 2 0 1 5

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 7 3

One of the most exciting new aspects of the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust is an expansion of the Collections Acquisition policy, which allows for the DHPT to acquire objects based on the archaeological collection at Drayton Hall. Archaeological artifacts represent the material culture that was acquired and used by the Drayton family and enslaved residents of Drayton Hall, and with an estimated one million artifacts in the Drayton Hall archaeological collection, there is a wealth of material to explore. It is often difficult to conceptualize the whole object an artifact represents, so we are excited to begin acquiring objects that will bring the artifacts to life.

The first object acquired by the DHPT in 2015 is a rare Eng-lish dry-bodied stoneware teapot dating to c.1765-1770. The Drayton Hall staff refers to this object as the “dragon teapot” as it is decorated with a stylized Chinese dragon. Likely made in Staffordshire, England, the teapot is brown with a buff slip and applied brown decorations including the dragon and a bor-der of alternating floral sprays with a molded bamboo handle. Fragments of an identical teapot were found at Drayton Hall in 1980 and 1981 during the excavations of the North and South Flanker buildings and it is believed these fragments represent the only known example of this particular style teapot in colonial North America. The dragon teapot was most certainly ordered and used by John Drayton (1715-1779) and is a wonderful rep-resentation of the English fascination with objects of Chinese origin; the base of the teapot even has a pseudo-Chinese seal. Plans are in the works to display the dragon teapot to Drayton Hall visitors in the coming year! The DHPT was able to acquire the dragon teapot with funds granted by the 2014 Charleston Antiques Forum beneficiary fund. We would like to thank the Charleston Antiques Forum for their support.

The official Notice to Proceed for the Drayton Hall portico project was issued the first week of June, and the project has been moving swiftly along ever since. Beginning in 2011, this multi-phase effort to research the iconic portico, assess its condition, and engineer a sensitive and long-lasting repair is now in its final months as workers carry out the extensive reha-bilitation scheduled to wrap up in November.

In June, a team from Richard Marks Restorations installed foam, plastic, and plywood to protect historic materials on and around the portico while work is underway. Professional concrete cutters were brought in to saw out large swaths of the concrete deck and, in the process, we dis-covered an old snack wrapper imbedded in the concrete that helped us date the slab to the 1930s. Additional discoveries were made below the stairs where we found brick vaults con-taining clues about early phases of construction.

Workers are now erecting braces to support the columns while major structural improvements are made. In the com-ing months, they will be installing new joists made of salvaged timbers, tying back and reinforcing the structure in strategic locations, and re-laying the stone pavers.

Time-lapse images and video updates are posted weekly to share new developments and discoveries as they unfold. The site will remain open while work is underway, and we encour-age you to come see preservation in progress!

Portico Project Update: Snack Wrapper Offers Clues to Historic Portico Repair

By Sarah Stroud Clarke, Archaeologist and Curator of Collections

by Patricia Lowe Smith, Curator of Historic Architectural Resources

Collections Update: Drayton Hall Preservation Trust Acquires First Collections Object in 2015

UPDATE ON PROJECTS

Photography by Robert Hunter

d r a y t o n h a l l

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

4

chance and he’ll speak to you in French. If you’re near water, before you know it he will have you out in a boat. He is a people person—naturally welcoming and embracing old friends and friends-to-be. As you’ll see reflected in the images that follow, George is truly passionate about the things he holds dear—family and friends, Drayton Hall, historic sites, his-tory, and preservation.

The picture of the Drayton family coat of arms at Drayton Hall includes the Drayton family motto: “HAC ITER AD ASTRA”—“This, the way to the stars.” When it comes to historic sites, if anyone knows “the way to the stars,” it is George McDaniel.

A COMPELLING LEGACY

“By playing a leadership

role in regional

preservation, George has

established Drayton Hall

not only as a preserved

site but as a site dedicated

to preservation itself.”

— A N T H O N Y C . W O O D

Trustee of the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust

01 : 1989 – Newly arrived Executive Director George W. McDaniel.

02 : 1998 – With Drayton Hall supporter, Miss Sally Reahard.

03, 04, 05 : Over the years, multiple awards for George’s leadership and innovation.

06 : 2005 Press Conference – working to prevent the mega-development of Watson Hill.

07 : 2006 – Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd at the opening ceremony of a new Bike Path – a low-impact project that Drayton Hall and the National Trust supported from its earliest stages.

08 : 2009 – George led the successful search to locate the owner of the “Mystery Watercolor” of Drayton Hall, dated 1765. L-R, Carter C. Hudgins, Ph.D, current acting President and Executive Director of Drayton Hall, Anne Drayton Nelson, an 8th-generation Drayton family descendant, and George examine the painting in the company of the owner, Jim Lockard.

0 3 0 50 4

0 6

0 7 0 8

0 2

0 1

i n t e r i o r s s p r i n g s u m m e r 2 0 1 5

5

“With George at the helm, Drayton Hall became a nationally recognized

leader in historic preservation. He expanded its educational programming,

grew its staff and resources, and engineered its co-stewardship model with

the National Trust. His contributions over the past 26 years have been

vital to Drayton Hall and its important mission.”

— S T E P H E N F . ( S T E V E ) G AT E S

Chair of the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust Board of Trustees

09 : 2011 – Man about town – chosen by the Visitors Bureau to help celebrate Charleston as Conde Nast’s Top City in the U.S.

10 : 2012 – Videotaping oral histories of descendants of the enslaved. L-R: Videographer Jay Millard, George, sound engineer Joe Schmidt, Lowcountry Africana’s Toni Carrier and Robin Foster, descendants Rev. R. Geddis and Lorraine White.

11 : 2012 – Studying maps with delegates from Guinea, West Africa, and noting the geographical similarities between the Lowcountry and the coastal region of Guinea.

12 : 2012 – Staff, site council, and their families celebrate at Drayton Hall’s Annual Holiday Oyster Roast. Here, Site Council Chair Anthony C. Wood and George share an especially funny moment.

13 : 2013 – At Drayton Hall’s Preservation Wednesday with Charlie Drayton, a seventh-generation descendant of Drayton Hall.

14 : 2014 – Being interviewed for SC Hall of Fame Induction of William Henry Drayton.

15 : 2014 – With Drayton Hall supporter, Esther Beaumont.

16 : 2014 – With a group of planners from the nearby town of Summerville who are developing a master plan that identifies the Ashley River and its feeder creeks as “green necklaces” to be preserved for the region’s future.

17 : 2014 – Catch and release for this avid sportsman and conservationist.

18 : 2014 – George giving a Connoisseur Tour to the Indiana Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, which – along with Drayton Hall – has been supported by Miss Sally Reahard. The trustees of the chapter visited Charleston to go on a “Miss Sally Tour” and witness the lasting impacts of her generosity in the Lowcountry.

0 9 1 0

1 1 1 2 1 3

1 4 1 5

1 6

1 7 1 8

d r a y t o n h a l l

6

“George has always been at the leading intellectual edge of the interpretation

of historic sites, and he has demonstrated time and time again that historic

sites can truly make a difference in their communities, in the nation and in

the world. Through his work at Drayton Hall, George has strengthened that

site’s connections to the community, created a transformative experience for

visitors, and led the exemplary preservation of the site and the surrounding

landscape of the Ashley River corridor. Importantly, George also is widely

recognized for his work in interpreting African American history at Drayton

Hall. His innovative approach has become a model of engagement and

interpretation that has influenced the way this important work is done across

the National Trust’s portfolio of sites and at many other properties around

the country. George has inspired and challenged all of us over the years to be

more inclusive, more creative and more courageous in telling the full history

of the powerful places we steward.”— S T E P H A N I E K . M E E K S

President, the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Top Two Images : 2015 – Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series with McDaniel’s presentation on engaging descendants

19 : 2015 – George’s presentation featured a Q & A session with Drayton Hall descendants Rebecca Campbell and Catherine Braxton (center and right).

20 : 2015 – George with fellow presenter Lonnie Bunch, inaugural director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and former Drayton Hall Site Advisory Council member.

Photos above by Fred Stucker, courtesy of Curating Black America: the 35th annual Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series, Rutgers University-Newark.

21 : December 15, 2014 – A historic moment as (L-R:) Drayton Hall Board of Trustees Chair Steve Gates, George, and NTHP President Stephanie Meeks, address the staff and site council before signing the papers that would transition Drayton Hall to its “co-stewardship” status, a new form of governance and administration.

22 : George would be the first to say that he owes much of his success to the love and support of his wonderful wife of 35 years, Mary Sue McDaniel.

ANTHONY C. WOOD is a preservation activist, writer, teacher, historian, grant-maker, and philanthropic advisor. Since 1993 he has been executive director of the Ittleson Foundation. He has been an adjunct associate professor of His-toric Preservation in the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation. He holds a MA in Urban Planning from the Uni-versity of Illinois, is a graduate of Kenyon College, and was a Historic Deerfield Summer Fellow. For more than 30 years, Wood has served on a variety of pres-

ervation boards from small local grassroots organizations to large national nonprofits. He has served as chair of the Drayton Hall Site Advisory Council and is currently a trustee of the Dray-ton Hall Preservation Trust.

Editor’s note: We faced an

impossible challenge in this issue

of Interiors, which was selecting

the images to accompany the

cover story on Dr. McDaniel’s

legacy. Even if we had the entire

issue to do so, we would have

only scratched the surface. For

more about George, please visit

our blog, the Drayton Hall Diaries,

at www.draytonhall.wordpress.com.

1 9 2 0

2 1 2 2

i n t e r i o r s s p r i n g s u m m e r 2 0 1 5

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 3

7

Landscape Update: Historic Wetland Conservation Plan Implementation

by Eric Becker, Manager of Landscapes, Horticulture, and Modern Facilities

Later this year work will begin on the conservation and enhancement of the historic rice fields and ponds at Drayton Hall. Located in a natural watercourse at a mid-point on the property, a series of dikes, canals, ponds, diverters, and seg-mented fields were dug late in the 17th century, prior to the construction of Drayton Hall, to make the cultivation of rice possible. Over the years, the Drayton family altered the use of the rice fields, leaving the main freshwater reservoir and some canals intact which served as part of the ornamental English-style landscape and as a piscatory. By the early 1900s, phosphate mining had impacted the ponds with construction of a narrow gauge rail line dividing the ponds into four sec-tions, two of which retain water to date. Finally, maintenance of the dikes and ponds was reduced and a slow reclamation of this once-agrarian system began to transition back to a more natural state.

Today, the dikes and water control systems are compromised or failed. Additionally, silting and invasive plants have con-tributed to limited water depth of a poor quality. The current wetland forest surrounding the ponds is comprised of few native plants; instead, there are many invasive plants, resulting in a limited diversification of all native species. Faced with these deteriorating conditions, the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust, in association with Ducks Unlimited, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Folk Land Management, initiated a management plan for conservation of the historic dike system, replacement of failed water control structures, greater enhancement of the water quality, and diversification of the native environment within five acres of this historic landscape.

Implementation of this plan requires the draining of the exist-ing ponds that, when dry, will remove the destructive vegetation from the dikes and the deep organic sediment on the pond bottom. Concurrently, replacement of failed and inadequate

water control pipes and spillways will occur, while excavation of mineral soil from the ponds is used to re-top the worn dikes and increase the overall depth of the ponds. Care will be taken to establish plant shelves for desired aquatics as well as nesting habitats for wetland-loving birds. A new cross dike and spillway will allow for seasonal flooding of 23 acres surrounding the permanent historic pond—areas once flooded for rice cultiva-tion—which will provide a greater habitat for both migrating and resident waterfowl.

Once the major work is completed and the ground has settled, a new interpretive trail and viewing area will be added, allow-ing interactive access to a much-overlooked segment of the historic Drayton landscape. Additionally, the history of inland rice cultivation, the Drayton period of land use, the impact of phosphate mining in the late 1900s, and the need for conser-vation of historical features within the context of a 21st century wetland, will be interpreted. This project has been made possi-ble from the generous support of the Gail and Parker Gilbert Landscape Fund, with major support from Ducks Unlimited, The US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the many friends and members of the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust.

UPDATE ON PROJECTS

d r a y t o n h a l l

8

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Meet Shelia Harrell-Roye, Our New Curator of Education and Public Engagement

The Drayton Hall Preservation Trust is pleased to announce that Shelia Harrell-Roye has assumed the position of Curator of Edu-cation & Public Engagement. A native of Charleston, Shelia comes to Drayton Hall with an extensive background in public history, American history, and educational outreach. Her associ-ation with Drayton Hall began in 2006, when she served as a part-

time educator and historical interpreter. As her leadership skills, dependability, and passion for the site and its history became readily apparent, within a year of her initial hire she earned a promotion to Visitor Services Manager, supervising daily site operations and the frontline staff. She departed Drayton Hall in 2010 to return to her alma mater, the College of Charleston, and earned an M.A. in History (with concentration in African American history), under the direction of Dr. Bernard Pow-ers. Shelia then spent several years working for the college’s Avery Research Center for African American History & Culture, serving as their Education Outreach Coordinator, where she managed public programs and developed educational mate-rials for neighboring schools and colleges. With her extensive experience in educational programming, American history, and public outreach, she was a natural choice to lead the edu-cational staff in its peak season, and jumped in to fill the role of Interim Curator of Education at Drayton Hall in February 2015. After several months in an interim capacity, she officially assumed her new role as Curator of Education & Public Engage-ment in August. In this new position, Shelia hopes to not only create new and dynamic public programming at Drayton Hall, but to also build strong alliances with schools/colleges and neighboring organizations to continue to raise Drayton Hall’s profile in the local community. Please join us in welcoming Shelia Harrell-Roye (back) to the Drayton Hall team!

This is the just-about-true story of real-life characters who loved a grand old house and the natural beauty of its surroundings on the Ashley River of Charleston, South Carolina. Join Nipper, an ener-getic little dog, and his beloved Charlotta Drayton as they travel from Charleston’s Battery to his-toric Drayton Hall and spend a spring day in 1916 where Nipper plays with his friend, eight-year-

old Richmond Bowens. Both Charlotta and Richmond have family ties to Drayton Hall going back many generations, and both do their part to preserve the history and spirit of their families’ homes. With his ever-present red ball, Nipper lets his curiosity—and Charlotta’s and Richmond’s lessons—guide his adventures. To order, call our Museum Shop at 843.769.2610.

AMEY PARSONS LEWIS is a former teacher living with her husband on Wadmalaw Island near Charleston, South Carolina. She earned a B.A. in English from Francis Marion Uni-versity and holds dear her forty-year association with Drayton Hall and the Drayton family. A mother of three and grandmother of seven, Lewis has a lifelong love of reading and teach-

ing, which led her to write Nipper of Drayton Hall, her first book.

Artist GERRY McELROY is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design. A freelance artist and art instructor, McElroy is the mother of three and now lives at Edisto Beach, South Carolina.

Young Palmetto Books – Kim Shealy Jeffcoat, series editor.Release Date: October 2015. 48 pages, 24 color illustrations.Royalties benefit the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust.

"Nipper of Drayton Hall" by Amey Parsons LewisIllustrated by Gerry McElroy

Remembering Janie Clayton

It is with deep sadness that we announce that our beloved friend and colleague of many years passed away on May 9th. Janie always had a welcoming smile, a twinkle in her eye, and a warm heart—when visitors arrived in our museum shop, she made them feel at home. To honor her wonderful life, her family, friends, and the staff of Drayton Hall gathered here on the banks of the Ashley River. As her daughter, Natalie Bell, said, “Drayton Hall was in her soul.”

i n t e r i o r s s p r i n g s u m m e r 2 0 1 5

9

RISING FROM THE ASHES. . . CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF WOOD FAMILY FELLOWSHIP AT

DRAYTON HALL

by carter c. Hudgins, Ph.D., acting president and executive director

On August 5, 1980, tragedy struck Drayton Hall. Young preservationist Stephen Wood was busy repairing the Drayton main house as part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation Restoration Workshop when the supporting scaf-folding gave way. He fell to the ground below and later that day succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind his parents Tanya and Leonard, brothers Anthony and John, and sister Sarah. Some 24 years later, misfortune revisited the Wood family as the lives of parents Leonard and Tanya were claimed by an automobile accident while traveling east of their home in Charleston, Illinois.

Amidst such tragedies, Dray-ton Hall has served as both a family memorial and source of inspiration for Anthony “Tony” Wood. While his brother’s life was taken by work at Drayton Hall, it was work Stephen loved and the site endures today as both a monument to our American past and the contemporary efforts undertaken by pres-ervationists, such as Stephen, to preserve our national trea-sures. Moreover, Tony and his brothers and sister were reared on the lessons of history and the value of preservation taught by their loving parents. For Tony is not only an advocate for historic preservation, but has served on the board of numer-ous preservation organizations, including the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust. Thus for Tony, Drayton Hall furthers an important cycle begun by his parents and followed by his sib-lings that spans from education, to preservation, to advocacy and leadership.

To further the legacy of his brother and parents, Tony and his husband, Anthony Badalamenti, established the Wood Family Fellowship at Drayton Hall in 2005. Such a program has been one of the most significant contributions to the initiatives of Drayton Hall as nine fellows have dramatically increased the scholarship and stewardship of Drayton Hall and associated resources. By design, the Fellowship is intended to foster the care and research of Drayton Hall while providing guidance

and inspiration to rising scholars in the fields of history, his-toric preservation, archaeology, anthropology, decorative arts, and architectural history. Over the course of the last ten years, Wood Fellows have piloted decorative arts research, developed an archaeological program, completed scholarly recordings of historic architecture, created a preservation archive, probed the site’s Civil War history, conducted oral histories, and begun to catalog Drayton Hall’s rich archaeological collection. The

Fellowship has also had a continual effect on staffing at Drayton Hall as past Fellows Carter C. Hudgins, Sarah Stroud Clarke, and Patri-cia Smith presently serve as the site's Acting Executive Director, Archaeologist and Curator of Collections, and Curator of Historic Architec-tural Resources, respectively.

Like the phoenix, stories of preservation success have risen from the past tragedies expe-rienced by the Wood family. Drayton Hall is forever grateful for the vision, wisdom and lead-ership of the Wood family in both the past and the present.

On Thursday, September 17, Drayton Hall will celebrate ten years of successful Wood Family Fellows as part of the 2015 Dis-tinguished Speakers Series. Special thanks go to Richard and Jill Almeida for sponsoring the lecture. Further support pro-vided by the Francis Marion Hotel. ( S E E B A C K C O V E R )

Left: Preservationist Stephen Wood (1953 – 1980). Right L – R: Executive Director George W. McDaniel, Leonard C. and Tanya B. Wood, and Anthony C. Wood at a Drayton Hall memorial program for Stephen Wood, August 2000.

L – r: Past Fellows Sarah Stroud Clarke, Carter C. Hudgins, & Patricia Smith.

d r a y t o n h a l l

10

SPECIAL GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

Archaeology and Collections

$5,000 – Assessment of Drayton Hall’s collections by an independent conservator, resulting in the development of a collections conservation plan and conservation cost for each piece of furniture in the collection (Left, Pier Table).

$15,000 – Purchase of two museum exhibit cases and installation of interpretive signage, UV window film to conserve artifacts, and reading rail in the Visitors Center – the late 19th-century, red caretaker’s house,

which houses the gift shop and new interpretive elements.

$5,000 – Acquisition and conservation of The Botanical Maga-zine by William Curtis, volumes III-XIV (published 1790-1800) – the entire volume or individual prints, as available. Charles Drayton took handwritten excerpts from these works highlight-ing fourteen plants he found of great interest—his Desiderata (pictured)—and might have purchased for Drayton Hall. These volumes will aid in landscape planning and site interpretation.

$1,000 – Traditional Charleston benches are located across the Drayton Hall landscape, offering guests a place to rest and reflect during their time on-site. Four-foot benches may be named in honor of or in memory of a loved one, with a high-quality brass plaque commemorating your wishes in perpetuity. (Eight-foot benches may be named for $2,000.)

Landscape, Horticulture, & Modern Facilities

Historic Architectural Resources

$500,000 – Structural stabilization: strengthening the floors, stairs, and his-toric plaster ceilings in the main house.

$10,000 – Erecting scaffolding and repairing the failing plaster ceiling in the stair hall of the main house (below).

$10,000 – Conservation of historic paint in the main house, halting paint loss.

$75,000 – Addition of a full-time Pres-ervation Associate, allowing the Curator of Historic Architectural Resources time to complete a three dimensional digital model of Drayton Hall.

Education and Public Engagement

$3,000 – Purchase of additional “green” benches for our Education programs – replacing our fleet of rotting wooden benches with environmentally friendly, rot- and splinter-resistant seating for use by visiting students.

Good Stewardship is Forever, But Special Projects Can't Wait

by steve mount, director of philanthropy

The many loyal Friends of Drayton Hall and generous donors help sustain the authenticity of the Drayton Hall experience. However, at any given time there are numerous special projects, typically not part of the budget process, which are essential to conserving the site and enhancing our guests’ experience at Drayton Hall. Please contact Steve Mount, director of philanthropy, at 843-769-2601 or smount@draytonhall.org, if you would like to share your philanthropic leadership to support one (or more) of the following projects:

For information on additional Special Giving Opportunities visit:

www.draytonhall.org/donate/special-projects

Photo by Russell Buskirk

Stair Hall, Photo by Willie Graham

i n t e r i o r s s p r i n g s u m m e r 2 0 1 5

11

I first visited Drayton Hall in the late 1990s; I was a young mother with a small child at home and, at my husband’s suggestion, I took a three-day weekend, traveling to Charles-ton on my own for a little rest and relaxation. While taking the house tour, I was struck by the preservation philosophy that our guide described—to preserve Drayton Hall “just as the National Trust had received it from the Drayton family in 1974.” This was a very different approach from other historic homes that I had visited, and I was intrigued.

What I really appreciated was that Drayton Hall wasn’t a res-toration frozen in time. Instead, the Trust chose to showcase its architectural “bones” dating back to its original construc-tion, while preserving the layers of change that were added in subsequent generations. By being sensitive to the fabric of the building and maintaining the integrity of the structure while not allowing it to fall into disrepair, Drayton Hall was (and is) being preserved as a true timeline of history.

I’ve always been interested in Early American history—in fact, I was considering a Masters in History at the time of my first visit, which is what drew me to Drayton Hall, because it was so deeply evocative of the period. By joining the Friends of Dray-ton Hall, I was able to keep up with new developments through the member newsletters and other communications. I remem-ber reading about the outline of the slave cemetery that had been rediscovered on a 1790s map, and thinking, “This place is so ripe for learning, I have to be part of it!’

A turning point in my desire to further my relationship with Drayton Hall occurred while pursuing my Master’s degree. My reading focused on early South Carolina, from its rice cul-ture and slave economy to the uprising of the Stono Rebellion. One book in particular stood out, The Black Majority, by Peter H. Wood, which influenced my growing interest in African American history.

In discussions with staff, I learned more about the hundreds of thousands of artifacts that had been recovered archaeologi-cally, but that were still waiting to be cataloged and researched. The potential for learning more from these unearthed trea-sures was enormous and I realized that this is where I could make a difference.

Working with Steve Mount, director of philanthropy, and Carter C. Hudgins, acting executive director, we developed the idea for the Deborah and Peter Wexler Curatorial Fellow, a two-year,

full-time position that would help Drayton Hall catalog its million-plus excavated artifacts. Reporting to Drayton Hall’s Archaeologist and Curator of Collections Sarah Stroud Clarke, the Wexler Fellow will catalog the archaeological collection through Drayton Hall’s partnership with the Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery (DAACS), which was developed at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. This new position will help contribute to a greater understanding of the material culture of the past, thus giving a voice to those who came before, especially African Americans who left little in the way of written records. I’m also delighted that this opportunity will help to launch or further the career of a young professional at one of the most iconic of colonial American historic sites, Drayton Hall.

DONOR PROFILE

From Casual Visitor to Avid Supporters: Deborah and Peter Wexler

by deborah wexler

About Deborah and Peter WexlerDeborah and Peter met at Boston University School of Manage-ment. Peter is co-founder of SpiderCloud Wireless, a company developing small cell technology that allows mobile telecom operators to deliver high bandwidth services to enterprise cus-tomers. Their son Ben is a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering.

Photography by Stephanie Fullerton

3380 Ashley River Road | Charleston, SC 29414

º

Total Recovered Fiber All Post-Consumer Fiber

10%

The 2015 Drayton Hall Distinguished Speakers Series resumes September 17th with a

presentation by Dr. Carter C. Hudgins, Acting President and Executive Director of the

Drayton Hall Preservation Trust, entitled “Preserving the Past, Preparing the Future: Cel-

ebrating Ten Years of Wood Family Fellows at Drayton Hall.” Dr. Hudgins will be joined

by Fellowship Founder and Drayton Hall Preservation Trust Board Member Anthony C.

Wood, along with former Fellows and current staff members, Sarah Stroud Clarke and

Patricia Smith, to examine the multidisciplinary research supported by the annual Fel-

lowship. Special thanks go to Richard and Jill Almeida for sponsoring the lecture. Further

support provided by the Francis Marion Hotel.

September 17, 2015

Carter C. Hudgins, Ph.D.

Acting President and Executive Director

Drayton Hall Preservation Trust

October 15, 2015

Suzanne F. Hood

Curator of Ceramics and Glass at

Colonial Williamsburg

November 19, 2015

Cary Carson, Ph.D.

Colonial Williamsburg (retired)

South Carolina Society Hall72 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401

For details, visit draytonhalldistinguishedspeakers.org

A Curated Tour of Bermuda with Drayton Hall:

Exploring the Colonial Transatlantic World

May 8 – 13, 2016

Join us as we depart Charleston for another

influential colonial destination: Bermuda. This

very special six-day excursion includes tours of

private homes and collections, exclusive access

to Parliament, luxury accommodations at a

private beach resort, and more. We hope you

can join us! Space is strictly limited.

For booking and more information visit:www.draytonhall.org/visit/events-calendar

All images are courtesy of the drayton hall preservation trust unless other wise noted.