The only plantation house on the Ashley River to survive the Revolutionary and Civil Wars intact, Drayton Hall was occupied by seven generations of the Drayton family, wealthy English planters who came to the Lowcountry from Barbados in the late 17C. Built c.1742 for John Drayton, who was born next door at Magnolia Plantation, this stunning brick edifice (whose architect is unknown) with its striking two-story portico embodies the Georgian Palladian architectural style. Symmetry and classical detail distinguish the unfurnished interior, which showcases ornate hand-carved and cast-plaster ceilings and hand-carved decorative moldings. The last finished coat of paint on the walls dates to 1885.