At the time of Beaufort’s founding in 1711, trade with the local natives, mainly the Yemassee Indians, was a major source of income for the settlers- especially in deerskin. Native Americans were paid for the skins with British goods and supplies, but of course the deer population soon diminished in the Lowcountry. Indians were enslaved and steadily pushed from their land. Angry over English exploitation, the natives organized the “most [...]

Previous to the Civil War, the tall building with the prominent white steeple at 911 Craven Street was used as a meeting/lecture/prayer house by members of the Baptist Church of Beaufort (600 Charles Street). The black members preserved a lot of what was in the church when Beaufort was occupied by Union soldiers. For example, a deacon saved the silver for the communion and put it between his bed and [...]

The Edward Barnwell-Geddes Dowling House (1405 Bay Street) During the Civil War, Union soldiers set up a signal station on the roof of Edward Barnwell’s house. It is located on the bluff of Bay Street- the perfect vantage point for the soldiers to make communications through the passageway of Port Royal Sound to the Atlantic Ocean. Edward Barnwell was the grandson of Col. John Barnwell “Tuscarora Jack,” an Indian fighter [...]

The Cuthbert-Scheper-Simmer House: 915 Port Republic St. You can almost smell bread baking in the basement kitchen of the house at the corner of Charles and Port Republic Streets. When the Union soldiers took over Beaufort in 1861, Lucius Cuthbert and family evacuated to Aiken, SC, leaving the family house to become a bakery for the hungry soldiers. Lucius Cuthbert came from the wealthy, rice-planting lineage of Richfield Plantation (now [...]

Robin White, proprietor, graciously invited guests into the anti-bellum, Gothic Revival style home for the launch of Wine Wednesday. Rose Hill Mansion was built for Dr. John Kirk and his wife Caroline in 1858 on land now called Rose Hill Plantation (now a gated community) in Bluffton, SC. Eighty-five guests enjoyed touring five rooms of the mansion, sampling hors d’oeuvres including shrimp, pulled pork, cheese, fresh strawberries and much more. [...]

The coastal town of Beaufort SC, a historic gem nestled in the heart of the Lowcountry has beautiful antebellum homes dating back to the pre civil war period. Many of Beaufort’s older historical architectural marvels are privately owned but can be toured during the Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens October 26th through October 28th.  

Built in: 1880 This post-bellum house with its spectacular view of the river is a fitting introduction to the Historic District. Built of clapboard and distinguished by a mansard roof, the house is two-and-one-half stories tall. Double piazzas face south. Dormer windows face north, south, east and west. Before the occupation of Beaufort by Union Troops in 1862, this property was owned by Margaret G. Milne, who also owned a [...]

Built in: 1785 Believed to have been built by the Reverend James Graham who married Sarah Jane Givens of Beaufort, this frame house with tabby foundations has two fine exterior end-wall chimneys other exterior detailing. Interior details include mantels, wainscoting, a mahogany staircase, and an original ceiling medallion in the drawing room. Graham was born in Scotland and served as the third pastor of the Baptist Church of Beaufort. In [...]

Built in: 1786 This house is thought to have been built in 1786 by Henry Talbird. This date is not documented, however structural evidence including the conjectured original porch form, tabby basement and molding details strongly support a late-eighteenth century date. The house was later owned by Dr. Lewis Reeve Sams, Jr., who sold it to Thomas Talbird. The house was part of Union Hospital #3 in 1862.The interior has [...]

Built in: 1850 Dr. John Johnson and his wife, Claudia Talbird, are thought to have built this three-story house in the 1850s. The house was still owned by Dr. Johnson at the opening of the Civil War and was used during the war as a part of Union Hospital #3. In 1973, a chimney collapsed in the house destroying a portion of its rear wall. Unable to repair the damage [...]