Europeans settled this area in the late 17th century and quickly began to establish large plantations along the Ashley River, whose rich land was the source of wealth. Several of these compounds have been preserved, and it's hard to understand life in this area without visiting them. The three major ones are all fairly close together on Ashley River Road (State Road 61), about 40 minutes northwest of central Charleston: Drayton Hall, Magnolia Place, and Middleton Place. If you purchase the Heritage Passport, it includes admission to Drayton Hall and the gardens at Middleton (normally $25 each or so).

It's well worth the drive out here. You may wish to avoid heavy traffic times (you're cutting through the edge of the Charleston urban area), but exploring these buildings and the grounds is both aesthetically and historically pleasing.

You reach Drayton Hall first: built in 1736, it remained in the family for 200 years before being turned over to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. During those years, very little was done to update it, change it, or even paint it, so it remains an amazing example of what these buildings actually looked like in their day. The Georgian architecture is wonderful, and the site along the Ashley is pleasant, with lots of aquatic life at the river's edge. Admission to Drayton Hall includes a guided tour, which added immensely to our visit. The docents appear to be all volunteers, but ours was extremely knowledgeable and (usually) pleasantly opinionated.

This area was hit hard by Hurricane Hugo in 1988, and there's an interesting photo album of how that affected Charleston and this site in particular. The century-old trees, whose crowns met over the Ashley River Road, giving it a cathedral-like feel, were largely wiped out by the winds. You can sense that absence as you make your away along the river to Middleton Place.

The large attraction here is the gardens, an intricate and careful 18th-century design. Fountains, sculptured ponds, carefully laid out viewpoints--it's a smaller colonial version of Versailles. There's also a "living history" area where all the work that slaves and servants did to make these places run is demonstrated: weaving, candlemaking, blacksmithing, cooking, etc. The house is not included on your Heritage Passport ticket but can be toured for an additional charge (we passed--there was plenty else to do here).

We spent a very pleasant afternoon at these two places and came away understanding life in this time and location a lot better.

Located a few miles downriver from Middleton Place on 125 acres is Drayton Hall, home of the prominent Drayton family. Constructed in 1742, this Georgian Palladian treasure is now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. John Drayton, who built the house, was a member of England's Royal Council. However, his son, William Henry, became a radical revolutionary and ardent supporter of independence from England. He would rise to become a powerful congressman and Chief Justice of South Carolina.

On March 29, 1780, British soldiers and Hessian (German) Jagers would sail down the Ashley River and come ashore at Drayton Hall. From this approach, they would lay siege to Charleston and occupy the city, taking over 3,000 patriots prisoner.

One of the finest examples of colonial architecture in the United States, Drayton Hall is the only Ashley River plantation to survive the Yankee Invasion of 1865. According to legend, John Drayton told Union soldiers that the house was serving as hospital for smallpox victims. They believed him, and the house was spared.

The mansion remained the property of the Drayton family for seven generations. It has never been modernized with electricity, plumbing, or other modern conveniences. It appears exactly as it would have 200 years ago, albeit without furnishings or artwork of any kind. The tours here focus on the architecture of the house. The plasterwork and molding, mostly done by slaves, are very impressive. One thing I found interesting outside of the house is the pond, which sits about 100 yards in front of it. If you look at the pond from just the right angle, you can see a reflection of the house. Give yourself at least an hour to enjoy the house, grounds, and gift shop. Drayton Hall is open daily from 10am to 4pm. The house tour is $12. Admissions for the grounds is only $3, but I would not recommend missing out on the wonderful house tour. For additional information, visit www.draytonhall.org.

Like a specter emerging out of the past, Drayton Hall still stands; it wasn’t destroyed by the Yankees during the Civil War or the devastating earthquake that occurred at about that time. Its grandeur remains only in the mansion itself - the gardens have slowly disappeared with time and the stables are no more, and only a few indications of their former existence are noticeable. The plantation is now owned and maintained by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

We met our guide, Helen, in the gift shop and followed her to the mansion. She was carrying a large silver-plated serving spoon. When we got to the left staircase in front of the west façade, she stopped and told us about the mansion. She said that it was built in 1742 at the behest of John Drayton, whose father had migrated from Barbados. Many of the early settlers in Charleston came from Barbados. His father brought a slave family named Bowen, and descendants of that family still live, and many are buried, on the plantation.

John Drayton wanted the finest house that could be built, and, from the ground up, it has all the attributes of classical architecture. Helen said that the design of the pilasters and their capitals around windows, doorways, and fireplaces tell the function of the entranceway and all the rooms inside; the less important rooms were graced with the Doric (least important) order. As we walked through, she explained what the room was used for and how important that use was to the family. The west entrance was less important than the formal east entrance that faced what were once the beautiful gardens that led the visitor from the Ashley River to the mansion. At one time, visitors came by way of the river because it was very difficult to follow the land path through the Low Country.

The National Trust has done much to maintain the mansion to keep it from decay due to its age and to allow visitors to walk through safely. Nothing has changed from the way it had been when the last member of the Drayton family lived there. It isn’t freshly painted or furnished, and that is disappointing to the less imaginative. Remnants of the formal gardens can be found along the river walk with a prepared map and guide, but the day was dreary and it began to rain, so we weren’t able to include that as part of our tour. Helen invited us all to join the National Trust for Historic Preservation and told us we would receive a beautiful spoon, like the one she was carrying, if we did.

This is the oldest plantation home still standing in the Charleston area. It is very unique in that it contains no furniture or family belongings. The guided tours here focus on the architecture of the house, which is used to tell the story of the Drayton family who called it home. A gift shop is on the grounds.

This home was the family seat of the Drayton family from the early 1700s until the Civil War. It’s special because of the magnificent plantation house on the property. This was the only plantation on its side of the Ashley River that wasn't burned by the Union Army. The home is beautiful and the guides are wonderful. It is one of the finest examples of Georgian Palladian architecture in the U.S. It has been completely preserved as the family left it in the 1970s and has so many layers of history.

The property also has walking trails, including a swamp/marsh walk, and wonderful views of the Ashley River. There is also a really interesting Connections Tour that talks about the connection of the slaves on the plantation to their native lands in West Africa.

Drayton Hall is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. They are a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the "irreplaceable." All of the people who work there are very dedicated to the cause, and you can tell they love Drayton Hall.

Drayton Hall is open daily, except Christmas Eve and Christmas and New Year's Eve and New Year’s Day. It's also closed February 1 to 3 for annual cleaning. Tours are every hour from 10am to 3pm. The connections program occurs daily at 11:15am and 2:15pm.

Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for youths (12 to18), and $6 for children. Those of ages 5 and under are free. The price includes a house tour, the connections program, and admission to the grounds and trails. Allow 2 to 3 hours if you aren't doing the connections program and 3 to 4 hours if you are.