This week, I was honored to interview Trish Smith (Director of Preservation and Archives) and Luke Pecoraro (Director of Archaeology and Collections) at Drayton Hall for our Podcast #2 of the SC History Newsletter!
Drayton Hall is a U.S. National Historic Landmark and 18th century plantation house and property located on the Ashley River about 15 miles northwest of Charleston. From Drayton Hall’s website: “For more than 250 years, Drayton Hall has stood witness to the American South. Among the best and most complete examples of Southern colonial life open to the public today, the property holds a vital educational responsibility. It is also an active archaeological site with an extensive museum collection of rare 18th- and 19th-century objects and artifacts.”
From its Revolutionary War history to insights into the lives and legacy of the enslaved workers of the plantation, in our interview, Trish and Luke share their research, stories, and more as we delve into the historical and cultural significance of Drayton Hall — a true historical gem of South Carolina and the United States. I hope you enjoy our interview.
For the first time, we also included reader questions and “Rapid Fire SC Trivia” for our guests. I look forward to continuing these segments in future interviews.
Note that you can toggle to the transcript of the episode above, and here are some time-stamped highlights of our interview below:
1:54 — Welcome & Introduction
2:51 — Trish Smith & Luke Pecoraro Introductions/Biographies
5:50 — Trish Smith describes her role at Drayton Hall as Director of Preservation & Archives
8:09 — Luke Pecoraro describes his role at Drayton Hall as Director of Archaeology and Collections
11:48 — Trish and Luke describe the historical significance of Drayton Hall to South Carolina History
19:03 — Luke Pecoraro describes efforts to locate the Drayton Hall slave barracks
22:33 — Trish Smith describes the legacy of Charlotta Drayton and how the property remains so well preserved to this day
26:12 — Trish and Luke describe the most exciting projects they have worked on at Drayton Hall
35:38 — Reader Question #1 from Doug K. from Columbia, SC! “Are the Drayton Hall archives available for public research?”
39:02 — Discussion of descendants of enslaved workers at Drayton Hall and future reunion
40:49 — Reader question #2 from Katheryn D. in Clinton, NY! “What is the evolving conversation, about how to represent the multiple points of view of the many tiers of plantation dwellers and experiences, especially when it comes to the experiences of the enslaved workers who lived and worked at Drayton Hall. How do those stories get represented in tours and the sites literature, and even in the gift shop, etc.?
51:03 — Discussion of the number of enslaved workers at Drayton Hall and the vast Drayton Family empire
53:57 — Reader Question #3 from Randall in Greenville, SC! “If you could recreate an experience in its original form, any part of Drayton Hall, physical or temporal, what would you recreate?” [Trish Smith’s answer]
55:00 — The amazing story of the 1765 watercolor of Drayton Hall
59:00 — What ever happened to the Drayton Hall Colonnade?
1:00:00 — Discussion of the Drayton Hall flanker buildings
1:03:28 — Reader Question #3 from Randall in Greenville, SC! “If you could recreate an experience in its original form, any part of Drayton Hall, physical or temporal, what would you recreate?” [Luke Pecoraro’s answer]
1:06:27 — Reader Question #3 from Alan P. in Raleigh, NC! “What advice would you give to a young person interested in a career and historic preservation?”
1:09:51 – Rapid Fire SC Trivia answers with Trish Smith!
1:14:11 – Rapid Fire SC Trivia answers with Luke Pecoraro!
1:20:42: How can we support the mission of Drayton Hall and the important work Trish & Luke are doing?
1:22:38: Thank you & farewells!
I also want to include some key visuals below that we discuss in the interview:
Podcast #2: The Legacy & Future of Drayton Hall