Restoration versus Stabilization in Charleston, South Carolina

When I travelled to Charleston with a group of fellow graduate students I expected to learn more about the history of the city. I anticipated visiting plantations to learn more about the economy of Charleston. I expected to see many fine examples of beautiful church architecture as an expression of a relationship to God. I hoped to be immersed Charleston long and rich history while exploring the uniquely eclectic downtown area. I expected to learn about Charleston's military importance through a visit to Fort Moultrie. What I did not expect was to be introduced to two very different techniques of preserving historical sites. Drayton Hall and Middleton Place are representative of these two techniques.

Middleton Place is an excellent example of a restoration site. The theory behind restoration sites is to return a historic site to how it appeared during a specific time period. For example, Middleton Place housed a successful and influential family during the colonial and post revolutionary era. The current property reflects the architecture, layout and décor of that time period.  While many pieces inside the house are originals, the majority of the inside décor was made to resemble what the house looked like in the colonial era. The house that serves as a museum was not the manor house on the property. The original manor house and flank houses were destroyed during the Civil War and subsequent earthquake. The current house was one of the flank houses, which was reconstructed after the war. Click the following link to view a video about restoration in the gardens at Middleton Place. 

In the gardens stands a testament to Middleton Place's ability to persevere. This statue has survived wars, earthquakes, and many hurricanes. 

Drayton Hall, however, represents a stabilization site. When the National Trust took over care of Drayton Hall in 1974, they decided to focus on preserving the current condition of the estate rather than restoring it to its colonial condition. Therefore, Drayton Hall’s interior is not as visually appealing as all of the décor and artifacts have been removed. The house contains no heating or cooling system and no electricity, which means artifacts cannot be kept on site. Tourists are only allowed in certain parts of the house to keep the flooring and walls intact. Any work done on the property is to keep the structure stable rather than for restoration. The floors, walls, and stonework are original.  However, the paint inside the house was added much later and detracts from the historical value of the house.

                   

These pictures demonstrate the very well preserved exterior of Drayton Hall. The work that can be seen is an ongoing project on the columns of the house. The purpose of this project is to stabilize the structure of the house rather than restore the exterior to a particular time period. 

These columns, stored in the basement. are believed to be the original columns of the house. 

This is what remains of one of the fireplaces in Drayton Hall. Vandals stole the mantle from this fireplace. Since Drayton Hall is a stabilization site, this mantle has not been replaced. 

The ceiling in the large first floor room of Drayton Hall. Under stabilization, the caretakers of the property will work to keep this architectural piece in its present condition. 

Tour guides alternate which stair case use to bring tourists up and down. When walking downstairs, the body exerts more force causing more wear to the staircase. By alternating the route to take tourists the tour guides are able to even out the stress on the two staircases. This method is one of the many stabilization techniques used at Drayton Hall.

The choice to either stabilize or restore a historic site may depend on the condition of the property. The structures of Middleton place suffered war, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Middleton Place could not be preserved, as the structures were destroyed. Drayton Hall fortunately escaped this fate and therefore was a better candidate for stabilization as the original building remained in tact. Both methods are impressive. From a tourism perspective, Middleton place has more to offer because it takes visitors back in time. It even serves as working rice plantation.  Drayton Hall’s merit lies in its significance as a very well persevered site rather than for its tourism appeal.