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INTERIORS A B O LD NE W STE P TO TH E F U TU R E Since its acquisition from the Drayton family in 1974, Drayton Hall has been owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Forty years later, Drayton Hall is moving forward to a new model of governance. On December 15, Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Stephen Gates, chairman of the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust, signed documents that officially made Drayton Hall a co-stewardship site. Drayton Hall staff, volunteers, and board members joined together to toast the site’s promising future. Effective January 1, 2015, Drayton Hall fully transitioned to co-stewardship and gained autonomy as the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust (DHPT), a new 501(c)(3) organization. In recent years, the National Trust began implementing a co-stewardship governance model as part of their new strategic vision. Titled “Reimagining Historic Sites,” it called for places like Drayton Hall to transition into “higher levels of programmatic quality, structural integrity, and financial sustainability”—three goals that Drayton Hall has long envisioned for its future. In the year 2014, Drayton Hall’s leadership achieved all three of these goals through groundbreaking research and discoveries, leadership in national programs, and community engagement. “It’s clear that reaching our long-term goals of growth and financial sustainability will require a higher degree of independent action and the support of a new board with full managerial and fiduciary responsibilities that only costewardship can provide,” explained Steve Gates, DHPT Board Chairman.
Co-stewardship agreement signed December 15th by (left to right): Steve Gates, chairman of the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust, and Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
This new governance model of co-stewardship means that the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust will assume responsibility for operations and staff management, while the National Trust—based in Washington, D.C.—will continue to own the property. A new board has been appointed, with many familiar faces who have been instrumental in Drayton Hall’s success, as well as new voices who represent the larger preservation and museum community. “This heightened involvement of the new DHPT board is essential if we are to continue to enhance Drayton Hall’s capacity to fulfill its mission of preservation and education,” said George W. McDaniel, president and executive director of DHPT. The new board will assume fiduciary responsibilities, provide staff oversight, and guide fundraising initiatives.
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c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1 While Drayton Hall is embracing this new mode of governance, our mission statement remains essential to the site’s operation: to research, preserve, and interpret Drayton Hall, its collections, and environs, in order to educate the public and to inspire people to embrace historic preservation. The year 2015 will be a landmark year for us as we continue our work to stabilize and preserve Drayton Hall’s iconic portico, present the second year of the Distinguished
Speakers Series, make new discoveries by researching our museum collection, and continue a project to digitally restore the interiors of Drayton Hall. There will be more announcements in the months ahead, and while this change is exciting, the challenges are great. Our new board and current staff are ready and prepared to meet these challenges, and we ask for your support as we move into this exciting new phase at Drayton Hall.
DR AY TON H A LL — M O R E T H A N A H O US E M US EUM as one of the largest segments of museums in the united states, house museums must look for innovative ways to connect with the world around them—from creating new strategies for community engagement to reimagining earlier centuries through new technology. Drayton Hall has done just that and more through its leadership role in areas like whole place preservation and preservation technology, which are making an impact at a national level. Thanks to the support of the Friends of Drayton Hall, several staff members shared their research with both local and national audiences last fall.
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Drayton Hall Descendants Present at National Preservation Conference in Savannah
Trish Smith Presents Digital Restoration Project to a National and International Audience
How do you research, document, and interpret the history of a community that has vanished from the landscape? Led by George McDaniel (far left) and Toni Carrier (far right), founding director of Lowcountry Africana and former Wood Family Fellow, the session featured five descendants of Drayton Hall (l–r): Shelby Nelson, Catherine Braxton, Rebecca Campbell, Annie Meyers, and Charles Drayton. “Preserving Our History, Telling Our Story” was the first session offered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation that included descendants of a historic site as participants. “I think the groundbreaking outreach underway at Drayton Hall towards being the tie that binds us can become such a positive message for all historic sites and people alike,” explained Charles Drayton. The descendants encouraged others to embrace the concept of shared histories in order to interpret all sides of the plantation experience. Read more on our blog at draytonhall.wordpress.com.
Using 21st-century technology to digitally restore 18th-century buildings is the mission of Patricia Lowe Smith (above), curator of historic architectural resources, who presented her latest research at the annual meeting of the Association for Preservation Technology International in October. “High Fidelity: the Digital Restoration of Drayton Hall” introduced preservation professionals from around the globe to the exciting work underway at Drayton Hall that is enhancing interpretation at the site and holds considerable promise for the future. In November, Smith led a session at the National Preservation Conference entitled “Preservation is Smart” along with Prashant Singh, CTO and co-founder of Local Data. Smith and Singh discussed the various ways preservation professionals use technology to save historic places.
interiors winter 2015
George W. McDaniel Speaks on Whole Place Preservation at Colonial Dames Symposium Held at Dumbarton House, the society’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., fellow speakers included Carol Cadou, senior vice president of Mount Vernon, and Tobin Malone, director of the Knox Museum in Thomaston, Maine. McDaniel discussed a major issue for historic sites across the nation: the preservation of viewsheds and environs from encroaching development. “Historic preservation is not so much about the past as it is about the future,” McDaniel said. “Preservation is not just about saving buildings but also about saving places.” Read more on our blog at draytonhall.wordpress.com.
McDaniel Delivers Keynote Speech at Historic Sites Luncheon Dr. McDaniel (above, center) was honored at the National Preservation Conference for his 25 years of service at Drayton Hall as executive director. At his keynote, he presented “Making a Difference: Historic Sites and their Communities” and dedicated his speech to his longtime friend and colleague Dr. Clement Price, who passed away in November. “Through his leadership, George McDaniel has made Drayton Hall matter more and more,” explained Tom Mayes (above, right), deputy general counsel for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “He has revealed why Drayton Hall matters. Not just as an architectural monument, although that it certainly is, but as a place for the identification, acknowledgement, and recognition of the difficult histories that people share, as a place for people to connect over that shared history, and as a place where people can feel their deeper humanity.” Also pictured: David Brown, executive vice president and chief preservation officer for the National Trust. Read more on our blog at draytonhall.wordpress.com.
Latest Discoveries Featured at Breaking Ground and Building Bridges Symposium Drayton Hall joined Historic Charleston Foundation, the Preservation Society of Charleston, and the Charleston Museum to sponsor this symposium highlighting new research on the material culture of the Carolina Lowcountry. Scholars shared exciting initiatives and current research projects made possible by collaborative efforts among local institutions. Sarah Stroud Clarke, archaeologist and curator of collections, presented “The Accomplished Woman: Charlotte Drayton Manigault’s Artistic Legacy at Drayton Hall” with Lauren Northup, collections manager of Historic Charleston Foundation. Their presentation explored the life of an early 19th-century female artist among Charleston’s elite planter society and how her life was shaped by Drayton Hall and the Ashley River landscape. Trish Smith was the first presenter at the symposium and shared her digital restoration work. Carter C. Hudgins, vice president and deputy director, presented his latest research in “Putting the Pieces Together: Multidisciplinary Discoveries at Drayton Hall.” Pictured (l–r): Dr. Carter C. Hudgins, vice president and deputy director of Drayton Hall; Grahame Long, chief curator of the Charleston Museum; Lauren Northup, manager of collections of Historic Charleston Foundation; Brandy Culp, curator of Historic Charleston Foundation; Dr. Jonathan Clancy, director of the American Fine and Decorative Arts Program of Sotheby’s Institute of Art; Ian Simmonds, independent scholar; Alex Wise, preservation research intern of the Preservation Society of Charleston. Not pictured: Sarah Stroud Clarke. Thanks to support from Friends like you, we can continue to make new discoveries, provide leadership in programs, and engage in our community.
T H E D R AY TO N H A LL P R ES E R VAT I O N T R UST The mission of the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust is to research, preserve, and interpret Drayton Hall, its collections, and environs, in order to educate the public and to inspire people to embrace historic preservation.
George W. McDaniel, Ph. D. president and executive director Carter C. Hudgins, Ph.D. vice president and deputy director
B O A R D O F T R UST E E S
F R I E N D S O F D R AY TO N H A L L I N T E R I O R S STA FF
Richard Almeida, Mary (MeMe) Black, Catherine Brown Braxton, Amelia (Mimi) Cathcart, Matthew
Kristine Morris, editor
Cochrane-Logan, Edward E. Crawford, P. Steven (Steve) Dopp, Frank B. Drayton, Carl I. Gable, Stephen
Natalie Titcomb, graphic designer
F. (Steve) Gates (chair), Marilynn Wood Hill, Kristopher B. King, Douglas B. (Doug) Lee, Benjamin
Ashley Darland, communications associate
F. Lenhardt, Jr., Fulton D. (Tony) Lewis, Jr., Deborah Mack, Wade Hampton Morris, H. Montague
Robert A. Johnson, volunteer proofreader
(Monty) Osteen , Jr., Michael B. Prevost, Anthony C. (Tony) Wood
Design services provided by Josh Korwin of Three Steps Ahead
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3380 Ashley River Road | Charleston, SC 29414 º
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Drayton Hall Distinguished Speakers Series The Friends of Drayton Hall are pleased to present the second season of the Drayton Hall Distinguished Speakers Series. You’ll experience thought-provoking presentations related to America’s history and culture by some of today’s most respected historians, archaeologists, and curators, who will shed new light on connections to Charleston and Drayton Hall. February 19, 2015
New Membership FAQ How will this transition to co-stewardship affect my membership? All active memberships will be honored by the
March 26, 2015
April 16, 2015
George W. McDaniel, Ph.D.
Libby H. O’Connell, Ph.D.
Brian M. Jordan, Ph.D.
President and Executive Director,
Chief Historian, Senior Vice President,
Lecturer of Civil War Era Studies at
Drayton Hall Preservation Trust
September 17, 2015
Corporate Social Responsibility,
Gettysburg College; Cultural Historian
History Channel and A+E networks
of the Civil War and Reconstruction
October 15, 2015
November 19, 2015
National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP)
Carter C. Hudgins, Ph.D.
Suzanne F. Hood
Cary Carson, Ph.D.
and Drayton Hall for the remainder of their
Vice President and Deputy Director,
Curator of Ceramics and Glass at
Colonial Williamsburg (retired)
current membership. When your membership
Drayton Hall Preservation Trust
Colonial Williamsburg
expires, you will have the option to renew separately with the National Trust or with Drayton
LOCATION
Hall. Drayton Hall asks for your continued
South Carolina Society Hall 72 Meeting Street, Charleston SC 29401
support as we move into our promising future. Find more Q&A at draytonhall.org/donate/members-faq
For details, visit draytonhalldistinguishedspeakers.org