This 18th-Century Mansion Has Never Had Electricity & Plumbing Installed in Nearly 300 Years

Drayton Hall, Charleston

Built between 1738 and 1742, Drayton Hall sits on the banks of the Ashley River in Charleston, South Carolina. This two-story mansion has lived through the American Revolution, Civil War, and many natural disasters without getting modern updates like electricity or plumbing.

While other historic houses got complete makeovers, Drayton Hall keeps its original features, from old paint to worn floors.

For seven generations, the Drayton family owned this 630-acre property until 1974, when it became a historic site managed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The grounds include the main house, historic landscape, and one of America’s oldest African-American cemeteries.

The “Drayton Hall Method” of Preservation

In the 1930s, many Charleston buildings were getting full restorations, but Drayton Hall chose a different path. Instead of fixing up the house to look new, its caretakers decided to keep it in its original state, wear and all. Because of this choice, you can see real pieces of history everywhere you look.

From the heart pine floors worn by centuries of footsteps to the original paint from the 1700s on the walls, every part of the house tells a story. Many preservation experts now study this approach, which they call the ‘Drayton Hall method.’

The Original Builders Were Trailblazers

The builders of Drayton Hall were ahead of their time. They put thick iron rods through the walls to hold the house together, connecting the outside walls to the inside ones. This smart design choice saved the house during Charleston’s big earthquake in 1886, when many other old buildings fell apart.

Even today, engineers study these building techniques, especially the special foundation that lets the house move slightly during earthquakes without breaking.

Where the Gardens Used to Be

Most plantations from colonial times had fancy gardens, but Drayton Hall’s gardens have completely disappeared under years of soil buildup. Old documents tell us about geometric flower beds and rare plants that were as impressive as gardens in Europe.

Scientists use special radar that can see underground to find traces of these lost gardens. They’ve found old pathways, flower beds, and spots where fountains once stood. Because no one has rebuilt these gardens, researchers can study the original garden design from the 1700s without modern changes getting in the way.

A Design That Came Straight From Europe

The person who designed Drayton Hall used ideas from a famous Italian architect named Andrea Palladio, who wrote a book about architecture in 1570. This makes the house one of the first and best examples of Palladian design in North America.

You can see these European ideas in the tall front porch, the perfectly balanced design, and the main rooms that form perfect 22-foot cubes. The quality of the work showed that American builders could create buildings just as good as those in Europe.

The Historic African-American Cemetery

Before the main house was even built, there was already a cemetery at Drayton Hall. This burial ground holds the remains of enslaved people and their families who lived and worked here from the 1740s through the early 1900s.

African-American families have passed down stories through generations about where people are buried and how ceremonies were held. The cemetery is special because it’s one of the oldest African-American burial grounds in America that’s still in its original spot, with some gravestones dating back to the mid-1700s.

Natural Ways the House Stayed Cool

Long before air conditioning, Drayton Hall had clever features to beat the Charleston heat. The builders made the ceilings 13 feet high and placed windows in specific spots to help air move through the house.

Hot air rises up through the main staircase while cooler air flows in from the basement. The basement itself has special vents that control moisture and keep the house comfortable. These old-fashioned cooling tricks still work today without any modern technology.

Drayton Hall as a Hospital

It’s been rumored that the house was being used as a hospital for contagious diseases, like cholera or smallpox, and that Dr. John Drayton posted yellow flags at the property’s entrance to indicate it.

This is a popular and recurring reason for its survival during the Civil War because whether it’s true or a strategic ruse, it was enough to deter Union forces from approaching and potentially burning the property.

Why Each Room Shows Different Time Periods

Most historic houses are restored to look like they did in one specific year, but Drayton Hall shows changes from many different times. You can see original features from the 1740s next to changes made in the 1850s and repairs from the 1920s.

Scientists who study old paint have found more than 40 different colors used over the years. The drawing room walls have layers of paint showing indigo blue from colonial times, Georgian-style blue, and yellow-orange from the Federal period.

Teaching Future Architects About the Past

In 1934, Drayton Hall became the first historic building to be completely measured and drawn for the Historic American Buildings Survey. These detailed drawings helped create the rules for how we document historic buildings today.

Architecture students come here to study old building methods, like how the wooden decorations were carved by hand and how the bricks were laid in special patterns. When you visit, you can see original construction techniques from the 1700s that have been changed or covered up in most other colonial buildings.

What Archaeologists Have Found Underground

Scientists have been digging at Drayton Hall since 1974 and have found over 250,000 objects. These range from expensive Chinese dishes to pottery made by enslaved people.

Every object they find helps tell the story of how free and enslaved people lived together on Low Country plantations. Scientists keep finding new information using advanced techniques that can show how people lived their daily lives hundreds of years ago.

How the House Still Stands Today

Drayton Hall has survived some incredible challenges. It made it through an earthquake in 1886 that measured 7.3 on the Richter scale, many direct hits from hurricanes including Hugo in 1989, and the entire Civil War without major damage.

In 1882, the family had a chance to make a lot of money by allowing phosphate mining on the property. Instead, they chose to protect the house and land. This decision saved not just the building but also all the historical items buried in the soil around it.