history
In the 1840s, the Rev. John Grimké Drayton planted the elaborate romantic gardens for his wife. She was from Philadelphia and not entirely thrilled about moving from the city to what was then the middle of nowhere. The Rev. Drayton hoped the gardens would not only add beauty to their property but, more importantly, bring his wife joy. He directed the enslaved people at Magnolia in planting the gardens that continue to flourish almost 200 years later.
Following the Civil War, the Rev. Drayton believed the best way to preserve the gardens at Magnolia was to open the space to the public. Visitors have been admiring these gardens since the early 1870s.
In the late 19th century, Magnolia Gardens was recognized in Baedeker’s Guide to the United States as one of the top places to see in the country. Only two other places received such notoriety: Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon.
For 100 years, the gardens were open seasonally when the camellias and azaleas were blooming in late winter and early spring. Now open year-round, Magnolia still hosts special tours and programs highlighting the extensive and historic camellia and azalea plants.
Magnolia’s story isn’t just about the gardens. It’s about the people who toiled in the rice fields – enslaved men, women and children who lived and worked on the property.
After Emancipation, roughly half of the newly freed African Americans stayed at Magnolia to work as paid gardeners, tour guides, and domestic servants. Descendants of the enslaved as well as other African American families lived on what was called the “Street” until the late 20th century.
Four former slave cabins have been preserved and restored. They now provide a focal point for education and discussion about the history of slavery and African American culture not only in South Carolina, but also the United States.
The Drayton family has owned Magnolia since the 1670s. Operations are overseen by a board of directors that includes the 10th and 11th generations of Drayton family descendants. The Magnolia Plantation Foundation, a philanthropic entity created by J. Drayton Hastie, Sr., provides charitable aid to wildlife, conservation, horticultural, and educational entities, with a special focus on local African American causes.
History makers
Milestones at Magnolia
1850 – Mrs. Julia Drayton (standing, at top of stairs), Ella Drayton (beside her mother, on rocking horse) and her older sister Julia (on steps) posed outside the second Magnolia house in this hand-tinted image taken in the early 1850s by someone from the Matthew Brady photography studio (or perhaps Brady himself). On Ella's left, standing, is an unidentified enslaved man.
1870 – This postcard from the late 19th century shows the arrival of a steamboat at Magnolia. Visitors to the gardens could come up the Ashley from Charleston by boat until the 1920s. Ashley River Road (Highway 61) was not paved until the 1930s.
1880 – By 1880, when this ticket was issued, visits to Magnolia Gardens during the spring bloom were commonplace.
1883 – Magnolia's iconic white bridge was built in the 1840s by enslaved workers; this photograph (taken in 1883) was part of a souvenir pamphlet offered for sale. It is one of the earliest photos of the Long Bridge.
1891 – Julia Drayton Hastie (1848-1920) inherited Magnolia when her father, the Reverend John Grimké Drayton, died in 1891. She was the only sole female owner in Magnolia's history.
1900 – An image taken in 1900 by William Henry Jackson for the Detroit Publishing Company shows six members of the garden staff posed on Magnolia Walk. Note the handmade brooms, used to sweep the dirt paths. The woman on the right wearing a checked skirt and dark top is identified as "Aunt Phoebe" in another photo from this series; the older man at left holding a rake may be Adam Bennett. The identities of the remaining four people are not known.
1920's – In 1951, C. Norwood Hastie Jr. (left) and his younger brother J. Drayton Hastie inherited Magnolia jointly from their father, C. N. Hastie. This photograph probably dates from the late 1920s, when both boys were young teenagers.
1946-47 – Magnolia Gardens Nursery Catalog
1953 – Through most of the 20th century, Magnolia's commercial plant nursery was locally renowned. Many species of camellia and azalea were cultivated on site, and revenue from the nursery helped support the gardens, which were only open to visitors for a few weeks in springtime.
1970 – This snapshot, taken in the early 1980s, shows the Reverend Willie Leach, superintendent of the gardens (left), standing next to J. Drayton Hastie, sole owner of Magnolia at the time. Reverend Leach lived and worked at Magnolia for nearly fifty years.
history
horticulture
nature