This is an old southern plantation in Charleston, South Carolina, Drayton Hall.  I believe this house was built around 1740 and is styled within the realm of Georgian-Palladian architecture.  There are no modern updates to the estate so no plumbing, electricity, no modern conveniences of any kind.  This photo is of the back of the house on the Ashley River side.  The grounds of the plantation hold one of the oldest African-American cemeteries in the nation which makes sense because the success of the plantation system was literally built upon the backs of slave labor by African-Americans, Native Americans and also with indentured servants (usually the poor Irish) until the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the states that continued in their rebellion against the Union on 1 January 1863.

In my opinion we are fortunate to still have such a great preserved example of what a building and grounds that are so close to what they would have appeared to the peoples that lived in and around this property and looked upon the same pond and trees that we see today.  It gives one the sense of a true living history.  The grounds were amazing with gigantic Live Oak trees draped in Spanish Moss.  I’ve never seen such trees that were huge and very impressive!  There was also an American Alligator sighting in the pond  down-a-ways from the front of the building that caused quite a stir for some tourists from Europe.  There were two small 3 to 4 foot gators basking in the sun surrounded by a few people snapping pictures and taking videos.