Above: Looking closely and getting it right. Richard (“Moby”) Marks, contractor; Edward Chappell, architectural historian, taking notes; and Craig Bennett, preservation engineer.

 

Seeing the Familiar Afresh: That’s fun, isn’t it? Sparks your mind. Would you like to see Drayton Hall through the eyes of Richard Marks, eminent preservation contractor, as told by the Charleston Mercury:
 
  
 

Unafraid to see things differently, the Charleston Mercury supports historic preservation, strives to keep Charleston Charleston, and has featured informative excerpts from my book, featuring Charles Drayton, Carter Hudgins, Sally Reahard, Rebecca Campbell, Catherine Braxton, and more — with more to come.

 
 

 

 

 Excerpted from my new book

Drayton Hall Stories: A Place and Its People
to be published in the spring of 2022
by Evening Post Books.
 
 
 

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.

"Drayton Hall Stories" is now a 4X Award Winner with the SE Museum Conference's James R. Short Award, the Governor's Award in the Humanities, the SC Preservation Honor Award & the Alexander S. Salley Lifetime Achievement Award.

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