The Old Commons in Beaufort in Beaufort County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Beaufort Colored School
Beaufort Colored School opened at this site in 1867. The school was housed in a two-story frame residence acquired by thirteen free-born and previously enslaved Black men who served as the property's trustees. It was first staffed by northern missionaries who had come to the Sea Islands in 1862 to open schools for former slaves. The school was also known as Beaufort Colored High School and Beaufort Town School.
Beaufort Colored School eventually became the town's only public school for African Americans. By the 1920s more than 300 students attended. After pressure from white school officials and the 1925 construction of a new school at Ribault Rd. and Greene St., the trustees of this site relinquished control of the property. The new school was named for Robert Smalls, one of Beaufort Colored School's original thirteen founders.
Erected 2022 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History; sponsored by Beaufort County Historical Society, the Mather School Alumni 1868-1968, and the University of South Carolina Beaufort. (Marker Number 7-70.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.
Location. 32° 26.222′ N, 80° 40.184′
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Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry and on the Sea Islands. 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 walking distance of this marker: Beaufort College (within shouting distance of this marker); University of South Carolina Beaufort (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Peter Catholic Church (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Wesley Methodist Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Berean Church / J. I. Washington Branch Library (approx. 0.2 miles away); First African Baptist Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of the Old Baptist Meeting House (approx. Ό mile away); Baptist Church of Beaufort (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Beaufort.
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 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
