An Ancestral Home Welcomes A Visitor
I was asked to speak at the Maryland Historical Society in the fall of 2017 by Louise Hayman, chairman of the board. I was delighted to do so because of my past connection with the area: in 1974, while in graduate school for my Ph.D. at Duke, I was hired to conduct a survey of African American sites in southern Maryland. There was no comparable work being done in the area or elsewhere in the South at the time, and I did my dissertation on the topic. Now, coming full circle after 25 years as the executive director of Drayton Hall, in Charleston, SC, I was to be a guest speaker at the Society’s Francis Scott Key Lecture Series, and my topic would be the future of historic sites, and why they are important today. You can read more about it here.
I was doubly delighted when Louise “sweetened the deal” by offering a weekend stay at Eyre Hall in Northhampton, Virginia; this remarkable 17th-century ancestral estate belongs to a dear friend of hers, Furlong Baldwin, who is a descendant of Thomas Eyre. A National Historic Landmark, the house is beautifully preserved and the gardens are among the oldest in the nation. Owned by the same family for twelve generations, it is truly an American treasure.
There were several things that were exciting about staying there — the connections between people, place, and history, the fact that Eyre Hall has been in the possession of family descendants since it was founded in the 1600s, that it opens its doors for tours of the house and grounds for history, preservation, and other special-interest groups, and that it continues as a very lovely and comfortable private home, with a lived-in quality that no curator or exhibit designer could produce. I was also delighted to learn that the antiques are treasured by the family, used regularly, and shared with fortunate guests like me. Another fascinating aspect is that the house has been added on to and reflects the interests and economic status of the family through the centuries — this can be seen in the evolution in architectural styles and the application of the latest technology as a response to the demands of modern life.
A view from Eyre Hall.
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: Dick McIntosh, Marnie Pillsbury, our host H. Furlong Baldwin, Louise Hayman, and George McDaniel in front of the splendid Eyre Hall.