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American Landmark: Charles Duell and the Rebirth of Middleton Place

Middleton-place
Courtesy of Middleton Place Foundation

Charles Duell inherited the historic properties Middleton Place and the Edmondston-Alston House, Charleston, SC, in 1969. He was 31 years old.

A graduate of Yale, he had begun a career in finance on Wall Street. But the circumstances of his sudden inheritance compelled him to leave New York City and move his family to South Carolina. There he would take up the challenge of reviving the houses, gardens, and forestlands of his forebears. He convinced countless relatives, friends, and associates to work with him. Their collective efforts over the last half-century have resulted in a dynamic balance of historic preservation and innovative interpretation. Moreover, Middleton Place has become a nexus for truth seeking and reconciliation as Americans pursue a fuller understanding of their past.

Virginia Beach, author of American Landmark: Charles Duell and the Rebirth of Middleton Place, and Tracey Todd, President and CEO of Middleton Place Foundation, talk with Walter Edgar about Duel’s decision to preserve the family seat of his ancestors, and the journey toward its sustainability.

News and Music Stations: Fri, Mar 11, at 12 pm; Sat, Mar 12, at 7 am
News & Talk Stations: Fri, Mar 11, at 12 pm; Sun, Mar 13, at 4 pm

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Dr. Walter Edgar has two programs on South Carolina Public Radio: Walter Edgar's Journal, and South Carolina from A to Z. Dr. Edgar received his B.A. degree from Davidson College in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1969. After two years in the army (including a tour of duty in Vietnam), he returned to USC as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Archives, assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens.