Drayton Hall: Who Was “Miss Sally”?

gmcdaniel4444@gmail.com

4 years ago

First on Facebook – February 2, 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.

“Miss Sally” was Sally Reahard, a lady who lived in Indianapolis who made a decided difference in Charleston and elsewhere.

In 1974, she gave the lead private gift to buy Drayton Hall. She gave money to buy the land across the river from Drayton Hall. Out of her estate of about $180M in 2003, $70M went to the Nature Conservancy and $16M to Drayton Hall as endowment, whose income allowed me to hire a more complete and professional staff, with several $M to other Charleston non-profits.

What was she like? Why did she care about nature and history? How did she live?

Here’s an excerpt from an interview with Bill Weeks, former director of the Indiana Nature Conservancy, to appear in my book:

“When I first met her, she was as gracious as could be. I knew she was assessing me, but she was very careful, I think, to make me comfortable. She was one of those people innately attuned to nature. She had a keen sense of responsibility. She was constantly aware that her resources could be traced to the success of Eli Lilly and Company, and she thought about that. She thought about the example they set.

With the modest house whose design she oversaw, her property reflected her values. For example, she had a larger than usual lot — but not huge –with little areas where she kept a wildflower garden so that birds could use them. Such places reflected her interest in nature and her idea of stewardship. She had no interest in ostentation with respect to her resources. She didn’t need an impressive place. It was nice, comfortable, and conveniently located, but wasn’t designed to make a statement about her wealth.”

Preview my new book “Drayton Hall Stories: A Place & 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.