Seven Generations of the Drayton Family

From the Colonial Period to Modern Day

Seventh Generation: 1967-1974

When Charlotta Drayton died in 1969, she left her share of Drayton Hall to her two nephews, Charles Henry Drayton (1918- ) and Francis "Frank" Beatty Drayton (1923-1979), each of whom already owned a quarter share from their father. In 1974, after thoughtful consideration of the ever-increasing costs to maintain their ancestral home, Charles and Frank Drayton decided to sell the house and 125 acres to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the remaining acreage to the state of South Carolina, thereby fulfilling their Aunt Charlotta's wishes to preserve the property for future generations.