Charles Drayton House

Completed in 1886, for Charles Henry Drayton (1847-1915) and his wife Eliza Meritt Gantt (1849-1926). Designed by W.B.W. Howe Jr. (1851-1912), their townhouse was completed in the same year that they were able to restore their iconic ancestral home outside Charleston, Drayton Hall, through profits derived from phosphate mining. It was built on the site of Daniel Heyward's Greek-Revival mansion that was shelled during the Civil War. Drayton's new home was designed in the Queen Anne style with Chinese and Eastlake features. Covered in stucco, it is built of white brick and black grout. The Drayton's daughter, Charlotta, lived here until 1969. On her death, a collection of 21 original watercolors of birds by George Edwards (1694-1773) were discovered in the attic. They had been purchased in 1733 by her ancestor John Drayton (1715-1779) and have since been donated to Drayton Hall by her nephews.