|
|
|
About
Beaufort, SC
European voyagers were first drawn to the
bountiful area in the 1500’s, and settlements were begun on nearby St.
Helena, Parris and Hilton Head Islands by Spanish, French and English
colonists. Ensuing struggles for control of Beaufort’s natural
harbors, lush forests and plentiful waters would mark its history, and
the specter of ancient forts and cannons adds a distinctive flavor of
enduring legacy forged with hardship and sacrifice.
Chartered in 1711, and named by King Charles II for Lord Henry
Somerset, Duke of Beaufort, the town would join Charleston as the
oldest in South Carolina, and quickly prospered from fur trading,
timber production, and the cultivation of rice. By the early 1800’s,
the rich sea island soil throughout the Beaufort area proved ideal for
growing cotton, and the town’s golden era ensued with construction of
grand homes and plantations. Although still a relatively small
community by the mid-19th century, Beaufort would again loom large in
military considerations with the coming of Civil War. The Union’s
entire seacoast blockade strategy was based on the seizure of Beaufort
and nearby Port Royal Sound in December, 1861, and occupation
throughout the ensuing war would help spare some of the town’s
structural treasures.
|
Suffering from economic depression after
the Civil War, Beaufort’s fortunes were aided in 1891 by the
construction of U.S. Navy facilities at Port Royal, and the creation
of Parris Island Marine Training Center by World War I. For much of
the 20th century, Beaufort remained a quaint sea coast village, its
stately antebellum buildings obscured by a rural, agricultural
landscape seemingly far removed from the fast-paced modern world. Such
tranquility would play a major role in Beaufort’s identity by the
1960’s, and the development of a world-class golf resort at
neighboring Hilton Head.
The spacious, pristine expanses of waterway, tidal marsh and forest
would continue to beckon, and upscale, environmental-friendly
communities were developed on Fripp, Lady’s, Spring, and Dataw
islands. Beaufort at the turn of the 21st century had once again
become a coveted jewel – relished for a timeless charm and Southern
hospitality, as well as an unparalleled visual aura, all set
comfortably in a breezy, subtropical climate.
|
 |
|
Today Beaufort is known for its artful
waterfront, where the annual Beaufort Water Festival is a grand
spectacle each July with aerobatic shows and high speed boat races, as
well as croquet tournaments and moonlight outdoor dances. The town has
been featured prominently for its beauty and character in the movies
“The Big Chill” and “Forrest Gump”, and continues to be a major center
of the Gullah culture, recognizing the achievements and contributions
of West African descendants. |
|
|
