Drayton Hall: Seek and Ye Shall Find

gmcdaniel4444@gmail.com

4 years ago

First on Facebook – January 26, 2021

Click on the blue Facebook logo in the upper right corner above to read all the comments and enlarge the photos, or read the transcript below.

I’ve been recording and editing interviews for a book about Drayton Hall, giving the reader a 360-degree view. Molly Drayton, Charlie Drayton’s oldest daughter, kindly sent me pictures, which I’d not seen before, of her wedding reception at Drayton Hall when she married Monty Osteen.

An excerpt from Monty’s interview:

“My major recollection of Drayton Hall was driving to it the night of our wedding reception. It was my first experience with the place. Up to that point, I’d never really thought about it. I remember being kind of overwhelmed by the sight. That night, it seemed as if there were as many fire trucks and firemen as there were guests. Lit only by candles, Drayton Hall was magnificent.”

Siblings Anne Drayton Nelson and Chad Drayton with Monty Osteen and Molly Drayton Osteen

Preview my new book “Drayton Hall Stories: A Place and Its People”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

George W. McDaniel, Ph.D., is President of McDaniel Consulting, LLC, a strategy firm that helps organizations use history to build bridges within itself and to its broader constituents. The company’s tag line, “Building Bridges through History,” is grounded in McDaniel’s personal beliefs and his experience in site management, preservation, education, board development, fundraising, and community outreach. Rather than using history to divide us, he strives to help organizations use history, especially local history, to enhance cross-cultural understanding and to support local museums, preservation, and education. Dr. McDaniel led volunteer efforts with Emanuel AME Church and historical organizations in Charleston to use historic preservation to enhance racial reconciliation and healing. McDaniel is also the Executive Director Emeritus of Drayton Hall, a historic site in Charleston, SC, owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He retired from Drayton Hall in 2015 after 25 years of distinguished service.

A frequent writer, speaker, and facilitator about such issues, he can be reached at gmcdaniel4444@gmail.com or through his website at www.mcdanielconsulting.net.

All images courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted.