Drayton Hall
National Historic Landmark · Charleston, South Carolina
A house built between 1738 and 1742 on the Ashley River, and the earliest fully realised Palladian building in North America — and the only one of the great Ashley River houses to survive both the Revolution and the Civil War intact. It has never been restored. There is no electricity, no plumbing, no heating and no furniture: the National Trust took it in 1974 and decided to preserve rather than present it, so you walk through empty rooms and look at three centuries of original paint, plaster and wood.
3380 Ashley River Road, Charleston, South Carolina, 29414, United States
Open daily, generally 9 AM to 3:30 or 4:30 PM depending on season, closed on a small number of major holidays. ⚠ THE HOUSE IS SEEN ON A GUIDED TOUR ONLY, at set times with limited places — book online ahead, especially in spring. The grounds, trails and cemeteries are self-guided and included. ⚠ THERE IS NO HEATING AND NO AIR CONDITIONING, deliberately: the house is preserved rather than restored, which makes summer tours hot and winter tours cold. Combination tickets with the other Ashley River properties are available.