Near Beaufort in Beaufort County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Port Royal Agricultural School
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Beaufort County Training School
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 23, 2026
1. Port Royal Agricultural School side of the marker
Port Royal Agricultural School. The Port Royal Agricultural School, later the Beaufort County Training School, operated nearby 1901-1955. Offering vocational and academic education for blacks, it was founded by Beaufort citizens led by Abbie Holmes Christensen (1852-1938). The school was modeled on Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee Institute, with his advice and support.
Beaufort County Training School. Booker T. Washington called it "a model school of its kind" when he toured it in 1908. It was usually called "the Shanklin School" for Joseph S. Shanklin (1872-1957), Tuskegee alumnus and its principal 1903-1946. His wife India (1876-1939) was its matron, nurse, and a teacher. Renamed Beaufort Co. Training School, it became a public school in 1920 and closed in 1955, Shanklin Elementary School, 2.6 mi. W, opened in 1994.
Erected 2014 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History; sponsored by Beaufort County. (Marker Number 7-50.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.
Location. 32° 27.802′ N, 80° 44.611′ W.
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Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Port Royal Agricultural and Industrial School (approx. 0.3 miles away); Battle of Port Royal Island (approx. 1.2 miles away); Battery Saxton (approx. 3 miles away); 1st SC Infantry Of African Descent (approx. 3.1 miles away); Beaufort (approx. 3.7 miles away); Address by President Lincoln
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 23, 2026
2. Beaufort County Training School side of the marker
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 23, 2026
3. Port Royal Agricultural School / Beaufort County Training School Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
