Inspired Giving: Drayton Hall Donor Esther Beaumont
November 2017
One of the great pleasures of being the Executive Director of Drayton Hall for so many years was getting to know the wonderful donors who have been committed to the stewardship and sustainable growth of the site. One donor in particular, Esther Beaumont, stands out.
Esther has been a devoted friend of Drayton Hall ever since she visited the site for the first time some 15 years ago. Her father, F. Adelbert Hoshall, was a well-known orthopedist who moved his family and his practice to the Charleston area. Esther grew up here; she graduated from Ashley Hall and was an undergraduate at Tufts University in Boston. Upon graduation, Esther worked overseas in Africa, central Asia, and Korea, in a variety of capacities for the U.S. government. Married to an army officer who, unfortunately, passed away many years ago, she now resides in Burke, Vermont, and is active in community affairs, including the local library.
Esther is as passionate about history and historic preservation as I am, and when Drayton Hall needed a leadership gift toward its new visitor center, she was inspired to step up. Thanks to Esther, the plan for the George W. McDaniel Education Center at Drayton Hall’s new Sally Reahard Visitor Center will become a reality and we all remain in her debt.
Above: Donor Esther Beaumont visited Drayton Hall in the fall of 2017 to view construction in progress for the new visitor center. I was delighted to have an opportunity to welcome her and to thank her once again and in person, for her generous contribution. Esther traveled with her dear friend Georgia Barnett, who she met while they were both living in Africa. Sarah Stroud Clarke, Drayton Hall’s archaeologist and curator of collections, showed them around the construction site, describing the purpose and functions of the buildings, and responding to their observations and questions along the way.
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 recently 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.
Header Image: L-R, George McDaniel and Esther Beaumont visiting construction in progress for the George W. McDaniel Education Center at Drayton Hall’s new Sally Reahard Visitor Center
McDaniel Consulting LLC is a strategy firm that helps organizations use history to build bridges within itself and its broader constituents. 