Drayton Hall Stories: A Place and Its People

$39.95

*** Available late April 2022 ***

A new portrayal of this 18th-century icon among America’s historic sites, Drayton Hall Stories: A Place and Its People is the first book in the nation to focus on a site’s recent history using interviews with descendants (both White and Black), board members, staff, donors, architects, historians, preservationists, tourism leaders, and more. Like different pieces of a mosaic, each interview combines with others to create an engaging picture of this one place, revealing never-before-shared family moments, major decisions in preservation and site stewardship, and pioneering efforts to transform a Southern plantation into a site for racial conciliation. Readers will come to see Drayton Hall’s people not as stereotypes, but as the real people they were — and are. Maps, photographs, lines of descent, interview questions, a how-to guide, and related website, all provide blueprints for readers who wish to undertake similar endeavors to build community in today’s world.

SKU: 978-1-929647-67-5 Categories: ,

About the Author

George W. McDaniel, PhD, is the President of McDaniel Consulting, LLC, a strategy firm that helps organizations and museums build bridges within itself and to its broader constituents. For more than 25 years, he served as the Executive Director of Drayton Hall, a historic site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Charleston, South Carolina. A native of Atlanta, he earned a BA from Sewanee, a MAT(history) from Brown University, and PhD (history) from Duke. Interspersed through those years were travels to many places — Europe, Africa, Vietnam — where he saw peace and war and learned by experience about cultural differences and commonalities. Beginning with the Smithsonian Institution, he has built a career in education and history museums, earning awards at local, state, and national levels. A nationally respected
museum professional and author, he helps organizations to use history, place, and culture to enhance community.

The author is available for speaking engagements and workshops.
Visit www.mcdanielconsulting.net or contact gmcdaniel4444@gmail.com.

Praise for Drayton Hall Stories

“McDaniel has meticulously uncovered the many personal connections and stories that help bring this amazing place to life.” — Paul Edmondson, President, National Trust for Historic Preservation

“Filled with revealing insights…and stories pertinent to understanding the full story of historic places.” — Spencer Crew, PhD, former Interim Director, National Museum of African American History & Culture, The Smithsonian Institution

“A remarkable narrative of Drayton Hall, one of America’s most significant historic places.” — Brent D. Glass, Director Emeritus, National Museum of American History, The Smithsonian Institution

“Sometimes we become so focused on sharing facts & details…that we miss the magic of the story. This book conveys Drayton Hall’s magic—and that is what visitors remember and why they come back.” — Helen Hill, CEO, Explore Charleston (Convention & Visitors Bureau)

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