| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — 1st SC Infantry Of African Descent |
| | The 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment
was raised from sea island slaves living around Port
Royal. Elements of the regiment were formed on Hilton
Head in May 1862. In August 1862, the regiment was
reorganized near Beaufort at the Smith plantation.
It was commanded by the noted abolitionist Thomas
W. Higginson who led the regiment on raids along the
Georgia coast. On Jan. 1, 1863, the regiment was
formerly mustered into the United States Army.
The regiment saw extensive . . . — Map (db m7094) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — 7-28 — Battery Saxton |
| | (Front Text):
Battery Saxton, constructed here in 1862, was in the second line of earthworks built by Federal troops occupying Beaufort during the Civil War. Laid out by the 1st New York Engineers with the assistance of black laborers, it held 3 8 inch siege howitzers and was occupied 1862-65 as one of two batteries anchoring a line from Battery Creek to the Beaufort River, the remnants of which are visible here just south of U.S. Hwy. 21 (known as Shell Rd. during the war). . . . — Map (db m6985) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — 7-1 — Beaufort |
| | Second oldest town in South Carolina,
Authorized by the Lords Proprietors,
December 20, 1710,
Chartered January 17, 1711,
Laid out prior to February 16, 1717,
Incorporated by the state,
December 17, 1808 — Map (db m19642) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — 7-10 — Beaufort Arsenal |
| | Erected in 1798 and rebuilt in 1852, the Beaufort Arsenal was the home of the Beaufort Volunteer Artillery, commissioned in 1802, which had its roots in an earlier company organized in 1776 and served valiantly in the Revolutionary War. The BVA was stationed at Fort Beauregard during the Battle of Port Royal on November 7, 1861. — Map (db m5664) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — 7-26 — Beaufort College |
| | (Text front) Beaufort College, a college preparatory academy founded in 1795, occupied this Greek Revival building from 1852 to 1861. The school opened in 1084 at Bay and Church Sts. but closed in 1817 after a yellow fever epidemic, reopening in 1820 at Newcastle and Craven Sts. This building designed by John Gibbs Barnwell II featured two classrooms, two offices, and a library modeled after the one at S.C. College, now the South Caronliniana Library at the University of S.C. . . . — Map (db m8705) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — Beaufort County South Carolina — Civil War and Forward |
| | 1860 -
On November 7,1861 a flotilla of U.S. warships steamed into Port Royal and the "Cotton Kingdom" came to a swift and thunderous end. The planters were forced to flee inland, many never to return, abandoning homes, lands and slaves. Beaufort became headquarters for the U.S. Army Department of the South and the chief base for the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. The houses were used by the occupying forces and thus saved for future generations. After the war the tough-minded . . . — Map (db m5941) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — Beaufort County, South Carolina — Exploration and Settlement |
| | 1520 - 1711
In 1520 the Spaniard, Francisco Gordillo, sailing from Hispaniola, stopped near Port Royal Sound long enough to call the place Santa Elena. Fourty-two years later, in 1562, Jean Ribaut and his French Huguenots named the region Port Royal and attempted a colony on Parris Island. It survived a year.
Alarmed by the French intrusion, the Spanish in 1566, built Fort San Phillipe which was destroyed following an Indian massacre and replaced by the larger San Marcos . . . — Map (db m5886) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — Beaufort County, South Carolina — Colonial And Revolutionary Period |
| | 1711-1860
During the Colonial period the Beaufort district grew and prospered. Rice was produced for export on the mainland, indigo in the sea islands, shipbuilding flourished. The Parish System developed as the political basis and Beaufort competed with Charleston for prestige and influence.
Until 1779 Beaufort played little part in the Revolution. Early in that year the first British attempt to take the town was repulsed by General William Moultrie's Militia at the Battle of Port . . . — Map (db m5935) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — 7-21 — Beaufort Female Benevolent Society |
| | The Society, founded in 1814 to educate and provide relief for destitute children, built this
house in 1895 and leased it for many years, using the income to help the needy. Tenants included the Clover Club, which operated a circulating library here (1910-1917), and an infirmary (1917-1925). Funds from the 1982 sale of the house continue to provide relief for
people in need. — Map (db m5681) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — Brigadier General Stephen Elliott CSA |
| | Born October 26, 1830 Died February 21 1866
Known for acts of bravery and outstanding leadership in the defense of Beaufort. This Memorial is erected by the Stephen Elliot Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy opposite the home in which this chapter was organized. — Map (db m5638) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — First Fort |
| | On or near this site in the settlement known as Stuart Town stood the "Tight Watch House" erected in 1683-4. After the destruction of the town by the Spanish in 1686 it was replaced by a fort, approximately 100 feet square defended by "9 Great Guns" known as the Beaufort Fort after 1710. It was the main defence of the area until Fort Frederick was erected in 1735. — Map (db m5939) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — 7-16 — Mather School |
| | Shortly after the Civil War, Mather School was founded here by Rachel Crane Mather of Boston. In 1882 the Women's American Baptist Home Mission Society assumed support of the venture, operating it as a normal school for black girls. With some changes, the school continued until 1968, when it was closed and sold to the state for the educational benefit of all races. — Map (db m6940) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — 7-30 — Maxcy - Rhett House / "Secession House" |
| | (Text front): Maxcy - Rhett House This house was built circa 1810 for Milton Maxcy (1782-1817), who came here from Massachusetts in 1804. Maxcy and his brother Virgil, who founded a school for young men in Beaufort, later taught at Beaufort College. In the 1850's Edmund Rhett (1808-1863), lawyer, planter, state representative, and state senator, brought the house and extensively remodeled it in the Greek Revival style, featuring an elaborate two-story portico.
(Text . . . — Map (db m5803) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — Memorial Day May 29, 1989 |
| | (Tablet One)
The Governor of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts Michael S. Dukakis, and
descendents of the African-American Civil
War Volunteers of the 54th and 55th Infantry
Regiments and the 5th Cavalry Regiment of
Massachusetts, accompanied by distinguished
citizens of the Commonwealth, came on this day
to Beaufort National Veterans Cemetery to
honor the members of the Black 55th Massachusetts
Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, whose remains
were found on Folly Island, South . . . — Map (db m20211) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge |
| | Dedicated in 1971
to the memory of
State Highway Patrolman
R.V. Woods (1935-1969)
and all other
South Carolina
Law Enforcement Officers
who died while serving
in the line of duty — Map (db m15605) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — 7-14 — Robert Smalls |
| | Born a slave in 1839, Robert Smalls lived to serve as a Congressman of the United States. In 1862 he commandeered and delivered to Union forces the Confederate gunboat Planter, on which he was a crewman. His career as a freedman included service as a delegate to the 1868 and 1895 State Constitutional Conventions, election to the SC House and Senate and nine years in Congress. He died in 1915 and is buried here. — Map (db m20144) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — Site of the Old Baptist Meeting House |
| | " Here, in 1794, I had the happiness,
instrumentally, to lay the foundation of
a place of worship which composed of
the best materials, and classes with the
most neat and commodious Baptist
meetinghouses in the United States."
(Rev. Henry Holcombe, First Fruits in a
Series of Letters) This construction
involved erection of a structure
measuring 30' - 2'' north / south by
36' - 4" east / west, suitable for
intermittent use by a small congregation.
Over time, the church . . . — Map (db m25958) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — 7-22 — St. Helena's Church |
| | (Marker Front):
This Episcopal Parish was established by Act of the Assembly June 7, 1712. The first known rector, William Guy, conducted early worship services in homes of settlers. The parish suffered greatly during the 1715 Yemassee Indian attack; constructed the present building in 1724 (enlarged 1817 & 1842); and was given communion silver in 1734 by John Bull, a captain in the militia. According to local tradition, the
[Marker reverse]:
church was used by British to . . . — Map (db m5827) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — St. Helena's Episcopal Church |
| | †
St. Helena's Parish was established June 7, 1712
by act of Provincial Assembly. First rector,
The Rev. William Guy, was appointed 1713; Glebe lands of 50 acres provided 1717.
Original church erected 1724; Enlarged
1770 and 1817 when present size was
established and galleries added; Rebuilt 1842.
Alter silver given in 1734 by Capt. John Bull
in memory of his wife, massacred by indians.
Amoung the notables buried in the church yard
are 2 British Revolutionary officers and
3 . . . — Map (db m25741) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — 7-14 — Tabernacle Baptist Church |
| | Tabernacle Church was formed by black members of Beaufort Baptist Church after other members evacuated the area because of Federal occupation in 1861. The church's lecture room was used for services during the war. In 1867 the black congregation bought this property from the Beaufort Baptist Church. Its present building was dedicated in 1894. Many new churches have grown from the Tabernacle. — Map (db m9964) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — The Baptist Church of Beaufort |
| | Established as a mission of the Euhaw Baptist
Church in 1795, Henry Holcombe, pastor.
With Joseph B. Cook as pastor, the church
was chartered as a Baptist church by the
State of South Carolina on January 27,1804.
At the beginning of the Civil War the building
was taken over by the Union Army and used
as a hospital for "coloured soldiers".
The present building was erected in 1844
under the leadership of Richard Fuller, pastor.
The tabby foundations of a prior meeting house . . . — Map (db m26102) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — Thomas Heyward, Jr. |
| | South Carolina
1746 - 1809
Soldier - Statesman
Signer of
The Declaration Of Independence — Map (db m5940) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Beaufort — Verdier House |
| | John Mark Verdier
1759-1826
Builder Of This House
1795-1800
General Lafayette Spoke To The People
Of Beaufort From This Portico
March 18, 1825 — Map (db m19644) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Bluffton — 7-2 — Bluffton, S.C. |
| | Settled in 1825, as a summer resort of rice and cotton planters, this town was incorporated in 1852. Here in 1844 the was launched the protest against the Federal tariff known as the "Bluffton Movement". — Map (db m21553) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Bluffton — #75001686 — Church of the Cross |
| |
The National Register
Of Historic Places
Church of the Cross
South Carolina Department
of Archives
and History — Map (db m19786) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Bluffton — 7-29 — Michael C. Riley Schools |
| | (Front text):This is the site of two schools
that served the black community of southern Beaufort County for most of the twentieth century. Bluffton Graded School, a small frame building constructed about
1900, was followed in 1954 by an elementary and high school named for Michael C. Riley (1873~1966), longtime trustee of Beaufort County School District #2. (Reverse text):From 1954 to 1970 the elementary school educated Bluffton's black students in grades 1~8 and the high . . . — Map (db m5853) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Bluffton — 7-25 — St. Luke's Church |
| | This sanctuary, built 1824 as St. Luke's
Episcopal Church, housed an active
Episcopal congregation until just before
the Civil War. It was sold to the
trustees of St. Luke's Methodist
Church in 1875 and served that
congregation since. St. Luke's
is listed in the National Register
of Historic Places for its
architectural significance as a
blend of the Georgian and
Greek Revival styles. — Map (db m19645) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Bluffton — The Barrel Landing Schoolhouse |
| | The name Barrel Landing (also spelled Barrell) comes from a nearby docking and landing area on the Okatie River initally used by early settlers of the Okatie community in the period following the Revolutionary War. Farmers and tradesmen used the landing to load produce packed in barrels aboard river craft to transport them to larger ports such as Beaufort, Savannah and Charleston
The original Barrel Landing School was built in the 1800s prior to the Civil War, but was destroyed by fire in . . . — Map (db m15320) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Frogmore — 7-32 — The Great Sea Island Storm |
| | ( Front text )
On the night of August 27, 1893, a
huge "tropical cyclone," the largest
and most powerful storm to hit S.C.
until Hurricane Hugo in 1989, made
landfall just E of Savannah, Ga.
With gusts as high as 120 mph and a
storm surge as 12 ft., the worst
of the storm struck the Sea Islands near
Beaufort - St. Helena, Hilton Head,
Daufuskie, Parris and smaller
islands were devastated. (Continued on other side)
(Reverse text )
The storm killed . . . — Map (db m8782) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Grays Hill — 7-5 — Battle of Port Royal Island |
| | Near the old halfway house, in the
vicinity of Grays Hill, on February
3, 1779, a force of South Carolina
Militia, Continentals, and
volunteers, including men from
Beaufort, under General William
Moultrie, defeated the British in
their attempt to capture Port
Royal Island. — Map (db m14738) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head — 7-19 — Charles Cotesworth Pickney — (1746–1825) |
| | Born in South Carolina, Pinckney was
educated in England and served in the
First and Second Provincial Congresses.
A commander in the Revolution, he later
served in the SC General Assembly,
signed the US Constitution, and was a
delegate to the SC Constitutional
Convention of 1790 in Columbia. Pinckney
spent part of his life on this island.
Pinckey, a leader in S.C.’s educational,
political, cultural and religious affairs,
inherited this island in 1769. He was . . . — Map (db m6720) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head — 7-18 — Fish Hall Plantation |
| | This plantation was part of a 1717 Proprietary landgrant of 500 acres to Col. John Barnwell. Later owners included members of the Green, Ellis, and Pope families. Nearby tabby ruins are remains of fire places of slave cabins. Graves of blacks, who made up most of the island's population until after the 1950's, are in nearby Drayton Cemetery. — Map (db m6625) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head — In Memoriam — Captain John Stoney — 1749 - 1821 |
| | native of Ireland, soldier in the Revolution, planter
on this island, a founder of the Episcopal Church on Hilton Head, the ancestor of the Stoneys of South Carolina. Also of his grandson, John Safford Stoney, eldest son of John and Elizabeth Gaillard Stoney, who who died in 1832 in his twenty fifth year. Their earthly remains with those of James Stoney, son of Captain John Stoney, who is commemorated by this tomb, rest where they were interred in unmarked graves at the northwestern extremity . . . — Map (db m8571) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head — 17-20 — Pinckney Island |
| | Inhabited for some 10,000 years,
Pinckney Island was known as
Espalanga, Look–out, and Mackey's
prior to about 1775. Alexander
Mackey received two Proprietary
grants for land on the island
in 1710. Charles Pinckney later owned
the island and willed it in 1769
to his son, Charles Cotesworth,
who became a successful planter here.
James Bruce, former military
aide to President Woodrow
Wilson, purchased this island
from the Pinckneys in 1937 and
developed it into a . . . — Map (db m6611) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head — 7-18 — Thomas Fenwick Drayton |
| | Confederate Brig. Gen. Thomas F. Drayton was
in command of this area at the time of nearby battle
of Port Royal, November 7, 1861. A brother, Capt.
Percival Drayton, commanded the Union warship
Pocahontas at the same battle. Earlier,
General Drayton had married Emma Catherine Pope,
whose parents owned Fish Hall Plantation. — Map (db m9966) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — 7-6 — "Robbers Row" |
| | After the occupation of Hilton Head,
a civilian town grew up to serve the
needs of the large Union base and
its garrison here. The town boasted
a hotel, a theater, 2 newspapers, and
numerous stores, centering along a
street, officially Suttlers Row, which
ran east from this point about ½ mile
to the army tent encampment. — Map (db m16550) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — 7-7 — Battle of Port Royal |
| | A decisive battle in the Civil War took
place here on Nov. 7, 1861, when 18
Union warships with about 55 supporting
craft led by Adm. S.E. DuPont bombarded
for 4½ hours the Confederate forces
in Fort Walker on this shore and Fort
Beauregard on the opposite point.
About 13,000 troops under Gen. Thomas
W. Sherman then landed on this beach
to establish the main Union blockade
base on the South Atlantic coast. — Map (db m16504) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — Fort Howell - 1864 |
| | An excellent example of the defensive earthworks common to the civil War era, Fort Howell was constructed by Union Forces occupying Hilton Head Island and was one of the final fortifications to be built during the war.
The men of the 32nd U.S. Colored Infantry Volunteers labored to complete the fort in the fall of 1864. Its purpose to protect Mitchelville, a freedman's town of newly emancipated slaves, which lay just down the road from this spot.
Fort Howell was deeded to the Hilton Head . . . — Map (db m6801) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — 7-8 — Fort Sherman |
| | Completed in 1862, this large earth fort
was designed to defend the great Union
blockade base on Hilton Head against
Confederate land attack. Named after
the first Union commander here, Gen.
Thomas W. Sherman, the fort consists
of two miles of earthworks enclosing
a 14-acre area. With other fortications
Fort Sherman formed part of a
defensive line 5 miles long across the
north end of the island. — Map (db m15949) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — 7-9 — Fort Walker |
| | Hastily built in 1861 to protect the S.C. coast
against Union attack, Fort Walker, commanded
by Col. William C. Heyward, bore the brunt
of the Union attack on November 7, 1861,
when after 4½ hours, with only 3 guns left
serviceable and ammunition almost gone,
the troops under Gen. Thomas F. Drayton
were forced to withdraw from the island.
Rebuilt by Union forces, it was renamed
Fort Welles. — Map (db m16519) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — 7-11 — Hilton Head |
| | A prominent landmark for mariners
since the voyages of the early
Spanish explorers, this headland
was known to the English as
Hilton Head after the voyage
in 1663 of Captain William Hilton
which led to their first
permanent settlement in Carolina.
By the late 18th century
the island had become known
as Hilton Head Island. — Map (db m16231) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — Hilton Head Island Veterans Memorial |
| | Dedicated to all veterans who have served their country honorably,
and have helped preserve the freedoms that we enjoy in this great country.
From A Grateful Nation — Map (db m7015) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — 7-23 — Mitchelville Site |
| | In 1862, after Hilton Head's fall to Union
forces in 1861, this town, planned for the
area's former slaves and named for General
Ormsby M. Mitchel, began. — Map (db m6783) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — 7-13 — Revolutionary War Ambush |
| | In December 1871, returning from a patrol with the Patriot Militia, Charles Devant was mortally wounded from ambush near here by Captain Martinangel's Royal Militia from Daufuskie Island. He managed to ride
his horse to his nearby plantation, Two Oaks, where he died. Captain John Leacraft's Bloody Legion avenged his death." — Map (db m6832) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — Steam Gun |
| | Hilton Head Steamgun was the last of 13
produced - 8 land based and 5 ship borne. The 50 foot long, 15-inch diameter barrel propelled a 7 foot long, dynamite loaded projectile up to 3 .25 miles. Two steam engines powered an electric generator and two air compressors to feed air at 2,000 PSI through the dune to two sides of the gun. The Hilton Head gun was fired more than 100 times in late 1901 and early 1902. It was dissembled in 1902. — Map (db m16604) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — Two Gallant Gentlemen from South Carolina |
| | To honor the memory of two gallant gentleman
of South Carolina. Thomas Fenwick Drayton;
Brigadier-General, C.S.A. and his brother
Commodore Percival Drayton, U.S.N., Captain
of U.S.S. Hartford, and later the first Chief
of Naval Operations.
The brothers met at the outbreak of hostilities,
shook hands, and each went the way his
conscience directed.
Thomas elected to defend his state. Percival
to follow his flag.
On November 7, 1861 the brothers met in battle.
Commander Percival . . . — Map (db m16499) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hilton Head Island — 7-12 — Zion Chapel of Ease and Cemetery |
| | A Chapel of St. Luke's Parrish,
established May 23, 1767, built of
wood shortly after 1786 under the
direction of Captain John Stoney
and Isaac Fripp, was consecrated
in 1833. Members of the Barksdale,
Baynard, Chaplin, Davant, Fripp,
Kirk, Mathews, Pope, Stoney, and
Webb families worshiped here.
By 1868 the chapel was destroyed. — Map (db m6856) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Hunting Island — Hunting Island Light Station |
| | The Hunting Island Lighthouse guided
mariners along the stretch of the South
Carolina coast for many years. The first
lighthouse, constructed of brick and
completed in 1859, was demolished by
Confederate troops during the early days
of the Civil War.
This lighthouse, built of interlocking cast
iron plates,was completed in 1875. The
light station was originally located on the
northern end of the island, but severe
beach erosion forced its relocation to
this site in 1889. The . . . — Map (db m18568) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Palmetto Bluff — Palmetto Bluff — Evolution of a Village |
| | People Have Always Gathered Here...
We know from ancient shell middens found on these bluffs that Native American hunter-gatherers inhabited this
site as early as 1564. Like today's residents and visitors, they appreciated the breezes off the May River, and the
expansive views helped them keep track of neighboring villages.
In 1913, R.T. Wilson Junior completed work on an enormous mansion he named "Palmetto Lodge". The house and its grounds became a village unto . . . — Map (db m20319) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Palmetto Bluff — Palmetto Bluff — Wilson Ruins |
| | The ruins that lie before you are the remains of Marion and Richard T. Wilson Jr.'s winter and spring home. The four-story mansion occupied what is now the Wilson Village Green and took approximately five years to construct. Once completed in 1914, it became the site of many lavish parties for the Wilsons' family and friends.
R.T. Wilson Jr. acquired the 18,000 acres that he named Palmetto Bluff in 1902. This land and the mansion were Wilson's idyllic retreat away from New York City until on . . . — Map (db m20367) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Aqui Estuvo España — (Here Was Spain) |
| | En respetuoso recuerdo d los Españoles que entre 1566 y 1587 dejaron aqui huella de su paso para gloria d España, y en agradecimiento a los Americanos benemeritos que hoy, con su trabaios rinden culto a su memoriay a la historia comun d España y los Estados Unidos de América.
In respectful tribute to the memory of those Spaniards who left their mark here between 1566 and 1587 while in quest of their country's glory and in grateful recognisition to the distinguished Americans who today, . . . — Map (db m20988) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Barrow Hall |
| | General Robert H. Barrow enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942, and was assigned as an assistant drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diago, before being commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1943. He served during World War II in occupied China, supporting guerrilla forces and earning the Bronze Star with Combat "V" for heroic action in the face of the enemy. During the Korean War he commanded Company A, 1st Battallion, 1st Marines, during the epic Inchon-Seoul campaign. Later, . . . — Map (db m20862) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Battle of Port Royal |
| | On the morning of November 7, 1861, Du Pont's flagship, the Wabash led the fleet into action. As the Union vessels near the sound Confederate batteries at Forts Walker and Beauregard opened fire. Du Pont, having sent ships to test the enemy's capabilities the day before, concentrated most of his fire on the more heavily armed Fort Walker.
For several hours Union warships dueled the Confederate forts. Shells ripped through Fort Walker, dismounting guns, and killing or wounding some of . . . — Map (db m20380) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — # 74001822 — Charlesfort-Santa Elena Site |
| | Has Been Designated A
National Historic Landmark
This site possesses National significance
in commemorating the history of the
United States of America
2001
National Park Service
United States Department of the Interior — Map (db m20287) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Fort San Marcos |
| | A year after the abandonment of Santa Elena in 1575, Spain, reestablished its colony on Parris Island. Fearing renewed Indian attacks upon their return, the Spanish brought with them a prefabricated fort, ready to assemble. After six days of construction, in October 1577, Fort San Marcos was ready to occupy.
By 1583, San Marcos was badly in need of repair. Officials in San Augustine sent a work party of thirty slaves to help rebuild the fort, but the garrison instead built a new fort on the . . . — Map (db m20936) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Fort San Marcos & The Ribaut Monument |
| | The concrete pillars and the shallow depression here represent the outline and moat of a fortication excavated by the Marine Corps in 1923. The archaeological dig was supervised by Major George Osterhout who believed this was the site of the French Huguenot ( Protestsnt ) outpost Charlesfort founded in 1562 by by Jean Ribaut. In 1925 the obelisk was erected to honor the early French explorers. Major Osterhout is among the dignitaries present for the dedication of the monument in March of 1926. . . . — Map (db m21039) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Jean Ribault Monument |
| | Here stood Charlesfort, built 1562 by Jean Ribault for Admiral Coligny. A Refuge for Hugunenots and to the glory of France.
Erected 1925 by the Government of the United States of America to mark the first stronghold of France on this Continent. — Map (db m21687) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Lighthouse Keepers Home — ( Parris Island S.C. ) |
| | The ruins in the woods before you are all that remain of the Parris Island lighthouse keeper's home. Established in 1878, by 1881 there were two navigational beacons in operation here.
The keeper tended both at night. At the rear beacon this entailed hoisting a locomotive headlight 120 feet to the top of the tower every night and lowering it again in the morning.
The lighthouses were seperated by nearly two miles. A plank walkway on palmetto log pilings partially connected them. By . . . — Map (db m21726) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Northern Most Known Bastion of Spanish Florida |
| | Less than three decades after Columbus had discovered America, on Aug. 18, 1521 ( St. Helena's Day ), Spanish seafarers from Santo Domingo sighted this magnificent harbor, named its Eastern headland the Punta de Santa Elena, from which the area derived its name, and claimed it for the King of Spain. For nearly half a century this was the mecca of Spain's repeatedly frustrated efforts to plant a settlement on the Atlantic Coast,
Not however until after Ribaut's garrison had abandoned . . . — Map (db m21253) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Parris Island Indians |
| | Native Americans on Parris Island
People have been living on Parris Island for over 4,000 years. Today, the prehistoric sequence is divided into four major
periods. Each is defined by the lifeways of the time.
Because these people lived and died centuries before any written accounts, archaeologists study the past to learn about
these first inhabitants. Through the clues they left behind, the stories of peoples of long ago can once again be heard.
Paleoindian Period . . . — Map (db m20601) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Parris Island Lighthouses |
| | In 1878, two lighthouses and a keeper's home were built on Parris Island. Standing 45 feet high, the front range light was on the marsh flats. The much taller rear beacon was further inland. Together, the two served as navigational points for ships entering Port Royal Sound. Decommissioned in 1912, the tall structures were dismantled in the 1930s to make flight safer for aircraft from the new Page Field. The base of the front range was used during WWII as the target platform for bombing . . . — Map (db m21267) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Parris Island Lighthouses |
| | In 1878, the United States built two lighthouses and a lighthouse keeper's home on Parris Island. The 45-foot tall Front Light was located on the southeastern tip of the island. Seen from the boardwalk, this area is the forested promontory to the right. The taller Rear Light was built in the center of Parris Island, almost two miles northwest of this location. Two beacons were used to guide ships into Port Royal Sound. The lighthouses were decommissioned in 1912, and were dismantled in the . . . — Map (db m21542) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Parris Island Plantations |
| | Taming the Wilderness
1715 - 1750
In 1715, Alexander Parris aquired what would come to be known as Parris Island. By 1722, Parris gave almost half the island to his daughter Jane and her husband John Delabare. Both families established plantations here, but it is uncertain if either planter lived on the island. Many planters maintained their primary residence in Beaufort.
The work of the early settlers, done mostly by their slaves, included clearing forests, cultivating crops, and . . . — Map (db m21410) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Peatross Parade Deck |
| | Named in memory of Major General Oscar F. Peatross, USMC (2 March 1916-26 May 1993), who served with distinction in W.W. II, Korea, and Vietnam and was a member of the regiment that raised the flag on Iwo Jima in World War II. A former commanding general of Parris Island, he believed the recruit training program to be the key factor in producing a proud, professional United States Marine . ———
Who...finds comfort in himself and in his cause;
And while the mortal mist . . . — Map (db m20713) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — The First Inhabitants |
| | Parris Island Pre-History The first inhabitants of Parris Island were American Indians. From about 6,000 BC to 500 AD, these stone age people traveled throughout the southeast staying along the coast for only part of the year. Starting around 500 AD, they began to settle along the coast in semi-permanent communities. The American Indians lived by gathering food, hunting game, fishing, harvesting shellfish and some subsistence farming. Then, in the sixteenth century their simple lifestyle . . . — Map (db m21449) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Parris Island — Uncommon Valor |
| |
"Uncommon Valor Was A Common Virtue"
Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima
20 February 1945
1 PFC Ira Hayes,USMCR
Sacaton, Arizona
MCRD, San Diago Aug 42
2 PFC Franklin R. Sousley,USMCR
Flemingsburg KY
21 Mar 45 (KIA)
MCRD, San Diago Jan 44
3 Sgt. Michael Strank, USMC
Conemaugh, Pa.
1 Mar 45 (KIA)
MCRD, Parris Island Oct 39
4 PHM2/C (corpsman) John H Bradley, USN
Antigo, Wisconsin
Recruit Training Farragut Idaho Jan 43
5 PFC Rene Gagnon, . . . — Map (db m20660) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Port Royal — 7-24 — Emancipation Day • Camp Saxton Site |
| | (Marker Front)Emancipation DayOn New Years Day 1863 this plantation owned by John Joyner Smith was the scene of elaborate
ceremonies celebrating the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. Hundreds of freedman and woman came from Port Royal, Beaufort and the sea islands to join Federal military and civil authorities and others in marking the event. After the proclamation was read, the 1st South Carolina Volunteers (Colored), the first Black regiment formed, (Marker . . . — Map (db m20312) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Sheldon — 7-4 — Ruins of Old Sheldon |
| | Ruins of Old Sheldon Prince William's Parish Church Built 1745-55. Burned 1779 by British. Rebuilt 1826. Burned 1865 by Federal Army. Named for ancestral home of the Bull family in Warwickshire, England. ——— Annual Services Second Sunday after Easter — Map (db m26366) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Sheldon — 7-27 — Sheldon Union Academy |
| | (Front):
Sheldon Union Academy, later Sheldon School, opened in 1893 on this site and educated the black children of rural Sheldon community for almost fifty years. The original Sheldon Union Academy board, which founded and governed the school from 1893 to 1918, included S.T. Beaubien, M.W. Brown, P.R. Chisolm, H.L. Jones, S.W. Ladson, F.S. Mitchell, and N.D. Mitchell.
(Reverse):
Sheldon Union Academy, founded by an independent group of community leaders, was a private . . . — Map (db m5785) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), St. Helena — 7-3 — Chapel of Ease |
| | To St. Helena's Church, Beaufort, S.C. Built about 1740. Made a separate church after the revolution. Burned by forest fire Feb. 22, 1886. — Map (db m19647) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), St. Helena — 7-15 — Penn School |
| | [front text]
One of the first schools for blacks in the South, Penn School, was reorganized as Penn Normal, Industrial and Agricultural School in 1901. As a
result of this change, incorporating principals of education found at both Tuskegee and Hampton Institutes, Penn became an international model. Its
program was removed to the Beaufort County school system in 1948.
[back text] After Union occupation of the sea islands in 1861, two northerners, Laura Towne and Ellen . . . — Map (db m20294) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), St. Helena Island — In Honor Of Edith M. Dabbs and James McBride Dabbs |
| | In Honor Of
Edith M. Dabbs
for her work and leadership in preserving
historic documents and photographs of Penn
School and for her contributions as author of
Face of an Island and Sea Island Diary
and
James McBride Dabbs
for his dedicated service as trustee and
advocate of Penn School from 1960 to 1970
Thirty young Live Oak trees were planted on the Penn
grounds in October 1986 by their friend John M. Trask Jr. of Orange Grove Plantation, St. Helena Island — Map (db m13432) |
| South Carolina (Beaufort County), Sun City Hilton Head Community — In Honor Of All Veterans — 9-11 |
| | (Plaque 1)
Dedicated to
The Memory and Honor
Of All Veterans
Servicemen and Servicewoman
Who Have Given Their
Full Measure of Devotation
In the Armed Forces
Defending This Nation
[ Emblems: Army • Navy • Marine Corps • Air Force • Coast Guard ]
(Plaque 2)
9-11
In Honor and Memory of
Those Touched
By the Outrageous Acts
of Terrorism on
September 11, 2001
God Bless America — Map (db m18236) |
Subscribe
— Privacy Policy
— Terms of Use
— About Us
— Contact Us
HMdb.org