Almost Meaningless?

Charleston attorney Peter McGee, a leading preservationist in Charleston, became chairman of Drayton Hall’s board and guided me in many ways. 

 

GWM: Since you’re a Charlestonian, Peter, what did Drayton Hall mean to you growing up?

 

Peter McGee: I didn’t know anything about it. As a boy growing up, my father was a trust officer of South Carolina National Bank and had a close tie to the owners of Middleton Place, the Pringle Smiths. We would go to Middleton Place for Sunday dinner maybe twice a year, which was a thrill because it was a beautiful place. Tourists would be there, for at that time, it and Magnolia were the two main spots on what we called the River Road, which we now refer to as Highway 61. To me, Drayton Hall was a word almost meaningless.

 

The first time I laid eyes on Drayton Hall was when decades ago, Patti and I went up the Ashley River in a boat with my friend David Maybank. We knew where Drayton Hall was and carefully tied up. Coming up and over the riverbank, I saw Drayton Hall for the first time. It’s not an overstatement to say that there was a “wow” impact. By then, I was old enough to recognize architectural beauty, and this place had it!

 

We felt like we were trespassing, so we walked around the building and left.

 

That was my introduction to Drayton Hall.