Great Loop: Beaufort South Carolina
April 12th, 2022
This Freeman Adventure took place in Beaufort South Carolina. The antebellum architecture, the history, and the city's hospitality are all strong reasons to visit. We drove over from Hilton Head and began our visit with a tour covering the Civil War and Reconstruction period.
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained with stories from Beaufort's past. Did you know that it was a group of 10 locals that drafted the South Carolina Articles of Succession, which led to the start of the civil war? The house where the met and drafted the document is still standing.
Historic Antebellum Mansions
Beaufort was originally chartered in 1711. It is the second oldest city in South Carolina. Only Charleston is older. The state was colonized as a buffer between the Spanish in Florida and the northern English Colonies. Catholics were not allowed to settle in the colony as it was feared they would side with the Catholic Spanish if a dispute arose. Cotton, rice and indigo (blue dye) were the original drivers of the local economy. The wealth these crops brought into the city funded the construction of the striking antebellum mansions that can now be found in the historic downtown district.
A Wonderful Shaded Front Porch
Love the Stained Glass Transom over the Front Door
Nice accent of potted plants
On our tour, we also learned of Robert Smalls. A slave who stole a Confederate Warship and sailed it to freedom. He went on to serve 5 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives before South Carolina rolled back reconstruction and stripped blacks of their voting rights by rewriting the state's constitution in 1895. Today, over 125 years later, voter disenfranchisement is still a contentious issue in our country.
House from the "Big Chill" Movie
Another View of the "Big Chill" House
Beaufort Water Front
The Bridge in the background is the one that Forrest Gump ran across in the movie of the same name.
No Freeman Adventure is complete until a communal meal is enjoyed and consumed. In this case we ate at a waterfront café. They had tasty sandwiches and cold drinks suitable for celebrating our exploration of Beaufort.
Berthing
- For day use, there is a nice free city dock on the waterfront.
- For longer term berthing, there is also a marina.
- There are also anchorages and moorings in the river.
As we arrived by auto from Hilton Head, we did not have a change to check out the berthing options. We have heard from other Loopers that Beaufort's facilities are quite nice.
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