Many thanks to Claiborne Young for contributing to our website. If you would like more information about his Cruising Guide Series, or wish to order any of his works, click here. |
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Many thanks to Claiborne Young for contributing to our website. If you would like more information about his Cruising Guide Series, or wish to order any of his works, click here. |
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"Just after sunset . . . the writer, with several friends, viewed a beautiful phenomenon from the terrace of the Gold Eagle Tavern, Beaufort, S.C.
"With the heavens for a canvas, from zenith to the southwest horizon, the greatest of Artists, Nature, had painted another glorious masterpiece, the motif being continuous areas of variable size and contour, in a soft medium tone of ultramarine or lapis lazuli blue, each framed in clouds of brilliant silver, copper and gold, while the restless waters of Beaufort Bay were mirrored in exquisite pastel shades.
"On a pale pearl azure background, Luna, the Queen of Night, appears in luminous splendor, wearing, in honor of the Harvest Month, a royal robe of turquoise blue beneath a shimmering gossamer veil of silvery grey.
"The radiant picture now in its entirety presents an entrancing ensemble of color and beauty, suggesting in its enchantment an approach to the celestial Gates of Paradise_and adds another glory to the Carolina Coast."
Thus wrote Gilbert Augustus Selby in 1934 as a preface to a new printing of James Henry Rice Jr.'s Glories of the Carolina Coast. The Gold Eagle Tavern is gone now, but the breathtaking scene described above in such flowery terms can still be witnessed when nature chooses to cooperate. Just across the street from the old tavern site, Bay Street Inn still welcomes the weary traveler. From its second-story balcony, this writer and his mate were privileged to watch a sunset very much like the one described by Selby many years ago. The beauty of that evening will remain with us always. Charleston may be the "Holy City" of coastal South Carolina, but this writer contends that Beaufort is certainly the coast's most romantic community. The many stately homes and the mysterious old oaks that surround them impart an air of romance and wonder that must be experienced to be understood. The atmosphere of age, coupled with a yearning for the simpler, more gracious life of bygone years, is a pervasive presence. The sensitive visitor sometimes feels that he or she can almost reach out and touch those far-removed days. Beaufort is a "must" stop for those cruising the waters of coastal South Carolina. Those who pass by without stopping to make the acquaintance of this unique city will be less for the omission. And just in case you are not yet enticed, take a moment to listen to the haunting words of Robert W. Barnwell, one of Beaufort's many famous citizens of another era: Called Back I think if I could see once more The tide at Beaufort sweep, Just as the crimson fades to gray, Just as the shadows creep. Just as the star of evening glows And the skimming swallows seek repose There where the oleanders grow Before my boyhood's home, Stumbler and groper that I've been, Panting on the mountain path, Lost in the forest green, Wrecked by the Ocean's wrath, Stifled in throngs of men; Come for the wanderer's rest Come to the home loved best. Beaufort sits poised on the banks of Beaufort River, waiting to greet visitors of the nautical persuasion. The town boasts three marinas and a first-rate boatyard. A number of noteworthy restaurants are within walking distance of the various shoreside facilities, and several inns wait to shelter those who have seen one wave too many. One particularly well-placed marina is located in the heart of the city's historical district. It is indeed fortunate that this fascinating town has such excellent accommodations for passing boaters. For taxi service in Beaufort call Yellow Cab (843-522-1121), Griffin Cab Company (843-524-4410), or Beaufort Cab Company (843-524-4940). Moving north to south, Beaufort's first facility, Marsh Harbor Boatyard, is located on an unnamed creek that makes in to the eastern shores of Beaufort River north of unlighted daybeacon #233. This establishment is primarily a service facility. The superfriendly management is very much in touch with the needs of cruising vessels, and the yard is highly recommended by this writer. Full below-waterline haul-out repairs are readily available via a 50-ton travelift. Additionally, Marsh Harbor Boatyard can handle most mechanical repairs short of a complete overhaul for both gasoline and diesel power plants. There is a complete parts department on the premises. Minimum low-tide approach depths on the well-marked entrance channel run around 6 feet, with 5 to 6 feet of water dockside. If there is room, Marsh Harbor Boatyard accepts transients, but the management has informed this writer that only a few boats stop just for the night. Most of the slip space is usually taken up by service customers. Should you berth here, you will find full power and water connections at the wooden floating docks. The marina does not offer gasoline or diesel fuel. All in all, this writer has seldom found a boatyard with such an upbeat, what-can-we-do-to-help attitude. If you are cruising the southeasterly portion of the South Carolina ICW and are in need of service, your search is ended. Boaters approaching the Lady's Island swing bridge west of unlighted daybeacon #237 will note a marked channel on the Waterway's southern flank that comes abeam just before the span. This cut leads to Factory Creek. Lady's Island Marina sits perched on the southwestern shores of Factory Creek. Low-water entrance depths in the marked channel run around 6 to 7 feet, while cruisers will encounter at least 5 to 6 feet of water dockside at the marina. This amiable facility gladly accepts transients for overnight dockage and offers berths at floating docks with all power and water connections. At the time of this writing, many of the available slips were taken up by resident boaters. It would be wise to give the marina a call well ahead of time and check on dockage availability before committing to a stay at this facility. Showers, a laundromat, and a small paperback exchange library are located on the premises. Gasoline and diesel fuel are readily available, and both mechanical and haul-out repairs can be arranged through the adjacent Boat Builders boatyard. Haul-outs are accomplished via a 22- ton marine railway. An on-site dining spot, Lady's Island Seafood Restaurant (843-525-1101), is quite good. Its fried seafood struck the fancy of this writer. A supermarket and a host of other shoreside businesses are located within walking distance, making for a great opportunity to stock up the on-board galley. Famished cruisers might also choose a quick walk to Wilkop's White Hall Inn (843-524-0382), long one of the most famous restaurants on Lady's Island. To reach this notable dining attraction, walk from the marina toward the Lady's Island swing bridge. You will spot the restaurant to the left of the road just before reaching the span. Yet another outstanding dining alternative is available to boaters berthing at Lady's Island Marina. Steamers Restaurant (843-522-0210) is located southeast of this facility along the main highway that passes are managed by the Downtown Marina. Passing cruisers are welcome to berth at the park's docks, but most cruisers choose to stay at the marina. You would do well to imitate this practice. During the early-evening hours, many local residents gather on the banks of the park to watch the spectacular river sunsets that nature thoughtfully provides from time to time. There is a local anchorage west of the Downtown Marina where boaters are welcome to drop the hook. Many of the craft in this basin are tied to mooring buoys, but anchoring by visiting cruisers is still allowed. Depths run 12 to 20 feet. Protection is far from the best, and this writer would not want to be caught out here if a heavy thunderstorm should happen by. Tidal currents are also rather swift, which can contribute to a dragging anchor. If you do decide to stay for the night, be sure to leave plenty of swinging room for nearby boats and drop the hook well away from the ICW channel to avoid any passing traffic. Beaufort's fourth marine facility, Port Royal Landing Marina, is located farther downstream on Beaufort River, near the charted high-rise bridge. This marina will reviewed in the next chapter. Boaters docking at the Downtown Marina of Beaufort and in need of culinary supplies are in for a real treat. Blackstone's Grocery and Deli (843-524-4330) is located just two blocks east of the marina at 915 Bay Street. This firm offers fine cheeses, meats, and gourmet food items of all descriptions. Blackstone's now serves breakfast. For lunch, the take-out deli sandwiches are nothing to sneeze at either. A trip to Blackstone's is a real treat. Afterwards, you can sail away sipping on the best Chardonnay and munching the freshest Brie. A number of truly notable dining establishments are located within a short walk of the Downtown Marina. For lunch and dinner, every single visitor to Beaufort should find his way to Plums Restaurant (904 Bay Street, 843-525-1946). The main entrance is located down a small alley from the street, with an alternate approach from the waterfront park just behind the restaurant. Try to get a table overlooking the park and Beaufort River. For a delectable evening meal, this writer suggests a trip to the Gatsby Restaurant and Tavern (822 Bay Street, 843-525-1800). Here, you can assuage your appetite on the finest in seafood, steaks, and prime rib. This writer and his mate have always been very impressed with the ultrafriendly, prompt service at Gatsby's. During our last visit, the Spanish-mackerel special was absolutely first-rate. May you, too, be so fortunate. The Anchorage House Restaurant (1103 Bay Street, 843-524-9392) sits just across the street from the Downtown Marina. It is this writer's personal pick as the most elegant dining spot in town. Lunch and dinner are served Monday through Saturday. Patrons of the Anchorage House have the opportunity to dine amidst truly historic surroundings. Built by William Elliott during the pre-Revolutionary period, the old house has passed through many different phases. At one time, it was used as an exclusive club, complete with gambling casino. Some years later, the commander of the nearby Parris Island Marine Base, Admiral Beardslee, came to admire the house greatly and purchased it upon retirement. Having spent several years in Japan, the admiral imported many pieces of heavily carved Oriental furniture. Though some of these rare articles were sold at auction many years later, others can still be seen today. Following the admiral's death, the house was operated as a tourist home for many years, until it was finally converted into an elegant restaurant. The newest dining attraction in town is the Beaufort Inn (809 Port Republic Street, 843-521-9000). Housed in a 1907 homeplace, the inn rents out a collection of exquisite rooms furnished with antiques. Each room has been named for one of the local plantations. In spite of its memorable lodging, the real star at the Beaufort Inn is the dining room, open to the public for both breakfast and dinner seven days a week. The food here can only be described as sumptuous. Give the Rosemary Honey Salmon Steak a try_you won't be sorry. It is only fair to note that dining at the Beaufort Inn is a bit on the formal side, and that the prices will never be accurately described as inexpensive. This is a place where you will want to dig out your last clean shirt_you know, the one buried under the forward V-berth. Nevertheless, considering that the Beaufort Inn's chef consistently wins the most presitgious awards offered anywhere, this is one dining spot where the extra effort is more than justified. If you are looking for something totally yummy to take back to your own galley, give Sweet Temptations (205 West Street, 843-524-6171) a check. The breads, cakes, and pies (not to mention the sandwiches) are all palate-pleasers. Beaufort Lodging Beaufort is a wonderful choice for weary cruisers who are ready for a break from their waterborne life. The town boasts a number of fine lodging establishments. Three of these are particularly convenient to the passing boater. The Best Western Sea Island Inn (843-522-2090) is located just across Bay Street from the Downtown Marina of Beaufort. This modern hostelry occupies the same site once claimed by a much older inn of the same name. The renowned reputation of the old Sea Island Motel lives on in its well-managed modern counterpart. The motel is in the heart of the historical district and is convenient to all the city's major attractions. This writer found it a bit more pricey than was true just a few years ago. The Rhett House Inn (843-524-9030) sits just behind the Best Western Sea Island Inn at 1009 Craven Street. As someone who has spent the last 20 years staying in bed-and-breakfast inns all over the nation, this writer can say without qualification that the Rhett House Inn is one of the most beautiful and charming of the lot. The recipient of a legion of awards, it was voted the most romantic lodging in the South by one prominent magazine several years ago. Built in 1820, the inn is housed in a historic Beaufort home. Robert E. Lee once visited here. The inn's present owners are designers, and their exquisite taste is brilliantly reflected in the lush but warm interior furnishings and decoration. The Bay Street Inn (601 Bay Street, 843-522-0050) is four blocks east of the Downtown Marina docks. This notable inn is housed in yet another of Beaufort's historic homes. The house is readily visible from the water, and many a passing boater has no doubt admired its cool white porches and columns, never guessing that they were welcome to spend the night. The management is glad to provide transportation from the area marinas for cruise-weary guests. The two-story inn was built by Lewis Sams in 1852. Apparently, Sams was very fond of sitting on the porch in the evenings, as he built his house with not one but two porches, one above the other. Both offer a magnificent view of the river. The breathtaking panorama provided by the upper balcony was alluded to in the opening section of this chapter. This writer cannot imagine a more peaceful evening than taking one's ease in the balcony's rocking chairs and watching the light slowly fade from the surrounding waters. Beaufort History The long and colorful history of Beaufort stretches back to early exploration and colonization by the Spanish empire. The first European to visit the area was apparently Francisco Cordillo, who landed at Port Royal Island in 1520. It was he who named the nearby cape St. Elena, which with the passage of the years became St. Helena. In 1557, the Spanish attempted to establish a base in the area, but the colony failed. In 1562, an adventurous Frenchman named Jean Ribaut led a group of French Protestants to the New World. The colonists built a settlement on nearby Parris Island and named their small town Charlesfort. For a time, all went well, but the colony was doomed to end in tragic and grisly failure. Promising to return as soon as possible, Ribaut sailed back to France to obtain needed supplies. When the dynamic leader arrived in his mother country, he found the French nation torn asunder with religious conflict. Despairing of aid from his native land, Ribaut traveled to England, where for a time it appeared that he might obtain the help he needed. Finally, though, he was thrown into prison and vanished from the canvas of Beaufort's early history. Meanwhile, the Parris Island colonists were quickly running through their inadequate supply of stores. Despite generous aid from nearby Indian tribes, starvation began to loom as a very real fear in the colonists' minds. It is curious that they could have feared hunger surrounded by forests teeming with game and waters jumping with fish, but for whatever reason, the settlers determined to build a small ship and sail for France. Once the vessel was finished, the desperate group quickly abandoned Charlesfort. But when the little boat was becalmed in the doldrums, food supplies were soon exhausted. It is whispered that the crew even resorted to cannibalism to fend off their hunger. At last, a passing English ship rescued the survivors, and France's colonization attempts along the South Carolina coast were brought to an abrupt end. Spanish soldiers returned to Parris Island in 1566 and built Fort San Felipe. This small outpost was temporarily abandoned some years later and was then reoccupied for a single year. With the burning of St. Augustine, Florida, by Sir Francis Drake in 1566, Spanish efforts to maintain a foothold in the Beaufort area were brought to an end. In 1660, following the restoration of the English monarchy, Britain sent an expedition under William Hilton to explore the Carolina coast. Hilton wrote glowingly of the Beaufort coastline: "The Ayr is clear and sweet, the countrey very pleasant and delightful; and we would wish, that all they that want a happy settlement of our English Nation, were well transported thither." The English colonization party that eventually founded Charleston first put ashore at Port Royal in 1679. The local Indians were able to persuade the expedition's leader, Robert Sayle, that better lands were to the north. This advice led to the removal of the party to the banks of Ashley River. Some historians have labeled this series of events as a crafty move on the part of the cacique of Kiawah. However, it seems plain from later history that the Indians' advice was quite sound. For all their many qualities, neither Beaufort nor Port Royal could ever have become as great a port as Charleston. In 1648, a group of adventurous Scotsmen established Stuarttowne near the present site of Port Royal. This ambitious settlement was completely wiped out by a Spanish raid in 1688, though the invaders were later soundly beaten at Charleston. By 1712, successful expeditions against the Spanish and the Indians of Florida had lessened the threat of attack. That same year, the South Carolina colonial legislature laid out plans for a new settlement in the area, to be known as the town of Beaufort. Beaufort had been officially established for only a few years when the great Yemassee uprising broke out. Allied with the Creeks and other Indian tribes, the Yemassees slaughtered every white settler they could find in the Beaufort region. Peace finally returned in 1717 after the Cherokees allied with the English settlers, but continued fear of Indian and Spanish attacks retarded the development of Beaufort into the 1720s. Indigo provided the first basis for agricultural wealth in the Beaufort-Port Royal area. Beginning about 1740, this cash crop brought continuing progress and prosperity. Nevertheless, this was a time of small farms and simple dwellings. The great plantations and townhouses that we admire today came much later. As reported earlier in this guide, the British government paid a sizable bounty for indigo. For this reason more than any other, the citizens of Beaufort showed a marked dislike for the patriot cause at the outbreak of the Revolution. Beaufort and Port Royal were occupied by British forces in 1779. The entire region became a staging ground for raids by rival parties of patriots and Tories. Prosperity returned around 1790 with the rise of Sea Island cotton. Until 1860, the long-staple plant brought fabulous wealth to Beaufort, as it did to the surrounding Sea Islands. Great plantations sprang into being on nearby St. Helena Island, and the wealthy planters built sumptuous summer residences in Beaufort, where the cool river breezes helped to alleviate the sweltering heat. Beaufort took a decidedly secessionist stance during the tragic train of events that led to the Civil War. One of the town's citizens, Robert Barnwell Rhett, gained the title of "Father of Secession." Other Confederate leaders actually considered Rhett too fiery and unrestrained, and he was denied a place in the new Southern government. In November 1861, a strong Union fleet under the command of Commodore S. F. DuPont smashed the Confederate forts defending the entrances to Port Royal Sound. Under the orders of Robert E. Lee, the area was quickly abandoned by the few Southern forces left, and Beaufort remained under Union occupation for the rest of the war. The nearby planters were caught by surprise. They had been told that the forts guarding the water approaches to the sound were impregnable. Most of the white population fled in panic, leaving their homes and possessions behind. Many of these estates were confiscated as abandoned lands and redistributed to freed blacks. Few residences were actually destroyed, and as a consequence Beaufort still boasts many beautiful homes built in the lavish antebellum style. The Reconstruction period was a difficult time in Beaufort, as in all of South Carolina. Sea Island cotton was again grown, but the coming of the boll weevil erased this final mark of prosperity. In 1893, a hurricane of astonishing violence struck Beaufort. The town and nearby islands were covered with 12 feet of water, and winds of more than 100 miles per hour wreaked havoc. According to one report, the receding waters left a large ship aground in the middle of present-day Bay Street. Prosperity finally began a long-awaited return to Beaufort during World War I with the establishment of the Parris Island Marine Base nearby. This event was followed by the establishment of the Port Royal Port Authority in 1955 and the opening of a major shipping terminal at Port Royal in 1958. Improved roads and bridges further added to the development of Beaufort. In the 1960s and 1970s, the town began to enjoy the fruits of a thriving tourist trade. With recent historic restorations and a beautifully landscaped waterfront, Beaufort's future as a tourist attraction appears bright. Every visitor to this beautiful port city should be thankful that the good sense and foresight of Beaufort's leaders have led to controlled development that has carefully preserved the town's historic character. In A Brief History of Beaufort, John Duffy comments, "It is heartening to note that much of Beaufort's wealth in the third quarter of the twentieth century has been used to restore the grandeur of old homes and buildings dating from its 'Periclean Age.' As a result Beaufort is one of the most attractive towns on the Atlantic coast." |
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GOV ORG EDU HOW TO NEARBY COMMUNITIES |
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Beaufort Co. |
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