Port Royal in Beaufort County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Old Fort Plantation
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Benjamin Rubin, May 30, 2026
1. Old Fort Plantation Marker
Along the shore of the Beaufort River are the remains of Fort Frederick. This landmark offered its name to the J.J. Smith Plantation - also known as Old Fort Plantation by much of the local population. Smith enslaved more than 80 people on this 700 acre property, but left the area when US troops arrived along the shores of Beaufort County in late 1861.
The Old Fort Plantation went on to serve not only as the site of Camp Saxton, but also the site of a refugee camp for those who escaped the bonds of slavery, as well as a school for freed people. This plantation, once the site of enslavement and sorrow, became the site of a revolution of Reconstruction.
[Caption:]
Generations of freed people lived on the grounds of Old Fort Plantation for years after the Civil War and built a community which flourished well into the 20th Century. Although their names are unknown, the family pictured at left likely lived here during the early stages of Reconstruction. The Smith Family, pictured at right near Porter's Chapel, trace their ancestral roots to those who were once enslaved and ultimately emancipated on the land surrounding you..
Erected by National
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Forts and Castles • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1861.
Location. 32° 23.292′ N, 80° 41.133′ W. Marker is in Port Royal, South Carolina, in Beaufort County. It is on Pinkney Blvd. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 27 Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal SC 29935, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry and on the Sea Islands. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Emancipation Day (here, next to this marker); Camp Saxton (here, next to this marker); First South Carolina Infantry (here, next to this marker); "The Year of Jubilee Has Come!" (here, next to this marker); Emancipation Day / Camp Saxton Site (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Camp Saxton (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Historic Union Church (approx. 0.9 miles away); Blue Channel Corporation (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Royal.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2026, by Benjamin Rubin of Columbia, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 18 times since then. Photo 1. submitted on May 30, 2026, by Benjamin Rubin of Columbia, South Carolina. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
