Bob Barker and Jackie Kennedy Onassis

Bob Barker, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and Drayton Hall.

 

Here’s an excerpt you might enjoy:

 

Bob Barker (described in earlier posts): “Probably my favorite memory was when Jackie Kennedy Onassis visited. She had come to Charleston in Onassis’ yacht, which was moored at the harbor. She hired a city guide and had him drive to Drayton Hall. They stopped at our gatehouse. Former First Ladies are automatically National Trust members, so the city guide said to the gatekeeper, “I have former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who would like to see Drayton Hall.”

 

Our gatekeeper, a volunteer teenager who didn’t last long, walked out of the gatehouse, “official” clipboard in hand, and rudely declared, “I’ll bet you have!” At which point, Jackie took off her dark glasses and looked squarely at him. His mouth fell, and down too went the clipboard! [Laughing]

 

Nancy Huggins (former gift shop manager): She did come. She was a gracious lady.

 

Bob: Very knowledgeable about architecture. Since we had a lot of people on the site, we decided to shield her because visitors were trying to catch a glimpse of her. Rather than go on a regular visitors’ tour, I took her through myself. You don’t often get knowledgeable visitors, and she was!

 

At that time, we were repairing the plaster of the stair hall ceiling, so the upstairs was closed to the public. Plaster dust was everywhere.

 

I asked her if she still wanted to go upstairs, and without hesitation, she declared, “Let’s go.” We climbed over and through the scaffolding erected for ceiling repair. Ascending, she was wearing a black dress, and by the time we descended, plaster dust had turned it gray.

 

But it didn’t bother her one bit, so intrigued was she by the house. She loved it!

 

Nothing like it. What memories!