Roof Repair in Beaufort, SC

BEAUFORT — When Beaufort County Council considered a motion to spend $1 million on a conservation easement for a property in neighboring Jasper County, the enthusiasm among council members was palpable.

The motion, which was approved unanimously March 25, was likely the first time in the history of South Carolina that a county invested to conserve property beyond its borders. It was a historic moment, the gravity of which was not lost on council.

"Truly, this is Beaufort County making the impossible possible," said Council Chair Joseph Passiment.

The funding came from the county's Green Space Program, a 1 percent sales tax that will raise $100 million for land preservation over two years. The program features an innovation that allows council to spend tax dollars outside the county.

The land at the center of this discussion was the 4,409-acre Gregorie Neck property. Located in the heart of the Port Royal Sound watershed, where the Broad River is formed by the confluence of the Coosawhatchie and Tulifiny rivers, it's notable for its 13 miles of shoreline, a diversity of wildlife and a well-managed landscape.

It's also notable because 1.7 miles of Interstate 95 bisects the northern edge of the property, a fact that could have easily resulted in the property being developed for residential, commercial or industrial uses, said Kate Schaefer of the Beaufort-based Open Land Trust.

Councilman York Glover noted that while the money was going into Jasper County, the conservation benefits will flow down the Broad River into Beaufort County.

"The opportunity to protect what we value as a community — water quality, military readiness and wildlife habitat — by contributing local dollars to match state and federal funding opportunities is only possible because the Green Space Program included the opportunity to look outside the county lines," Schaefer said.

Beaufort County

The program is, she said, a game changer for conservation.

When the Gregorie Neck property went on the market in 2023, it was the first time it was changing hands in 30 years. Its future was quite literally hanging in the balance.

A history of firsts

The Green Space Program is evidence of a commitment to conservation by county voters and is the latest in a series of programs oriented toward that goal.

"The people of South Carolina are getting smarter about conservation," observed David Bishop, coastal and midlands conservation director for The Nature Conservancy. "Beaufort County residents have led the way for a long time by willingly taxing themselves to protect land and water."

Conservation funding in the county started with The Rural and Critical Lands Preservation Program, the first dedicated land conservation program in the state. Voters approved a $40 million bond to fund that program in 2002. Four subsequent bond initiatives were approved over the following 17 years, resulting in the protection of approximately 30,000 acres in the county.

Despite the success of the Rural and Critical program, Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, saw a growing problem that required a different solution.

Davis noted that if all homes already permitted for development were built, the number of rooftops in the region would double. That scenario would be, he said, unsustainable. Roads would be overwhelmed and the region's fragile watershed would be degraded.

If you’re looking for history, then Beaufort, SC is the right place. Being over 500 years old, you’re never too far from history in Beaufort SC. The Beaufort area is home to several museums that house a great deal of local history.

From America’s beginning to the pre and post-Civil War eras, to the formation of the United States Marine Corps, you can see and learn so much about the past by visiting each one of them.

The Beaufort History Museum promotes the appreciation for the history of Beaufort, SC and the surrounding area through its amazing exhibits and through its many events.

The museum sits inside the historic Beaufort Arsenal (c. 1798) on Craven Street in downtown Beaufort. It covers the discovery of Beaufort over 500 years ago, guides you through the early years and up to the Civil War where the seeds were first planted for secession in Beaufort, then through the Reconstruction Era. Address: 713 Craven Street, Beaufort

At the Parris Island Museum, you can explore the long legacy of the United States Marine Corps and also the history of the Port Royal, SC area.

The museum houses thousands of artifacts, images and other things that illustrate the stories within the exhibit galleries from the area’s early Native American population to today’s modern Marines.

The 10,000-square-foot facility is located at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. On display at the museum are many artifacts covering Port Royal’s important military roles from the American Revolution through the Civil War, with a focus on the development of the island into a Marine Corps installation after the Spanish-American War, and takes you to the present. Address: 111 Panama Street, Paris Island MCRD

Downtown Beaufort’s historic John Mark Verdier House Museum lets you step back in time inside the impressive Federal-style mansion built around 1804 by John Mark Verdier, a successful merchant and planter in Beaufort.

The house on Bay Street was a stately statement of his wealth and status as a member of Beaufort’s planter class. As the only historic planter’s house in the city open to the public, the 1804 structure paints an accurate portrait of how Beaufort’s wealthiest citizens lived during the height of the pre-Civil War Antebellum period when cotton was king and wealth was everything.

An important location throughout history, the Marquis de Lafayette stopped at the Verdier House and enjoyed a lavish ceremony and party here in 1825 on his farewell tour of America before he departed for France.

The mansion was also used as the Federal Headquarters by Union troops during the occupation of Beaufort during the Civil War, and was even home to the first telephone ever installed in Beaufort, SC. Address: 801 Bay Street, Beaufort

The York W. Bailey Museum at historic Penn Center on St. Helena Island offers a look into the stories of the people whose lives were changed by this important American institution.

Penn Center was the very first school opened to educate former slaves as America’s Reconstruction Era started after the Civil War.

View many photographs of Penn Center’s students at work, some of which were taken as far back as the 1860s. Videos offer historic and personal recollections of Penn Center’s past and local artists fill the gift shop with handmade sweetgrass baskets and colorful, original cultural artwork. Address: 16 Penn Center Circle West, St. Helena Island

The Historic Port Royal Foundation Museum offers a glimpse into the history of Port Royal, which was always an important location because it’s the deepest natural port along the Atlantic Ocean, south of New York.

The museum also tells the story of old Port Royal, the creation and eventual demise of the Port Royal Railroad, and lots more. Address: 1634 Paris Ave., Port Royal

From staff reports

More than 100 Beaufort County School District (BCSD) 8^th Graders, including 21 from Northern Beaufort County schools, have been honored for being named Junior Scholars by the South Carolina Department of Education.

The students and their parents were recognized at a Junior Scholars celebration sponsored by the Beaufort County School District.

“These students have shown phenomenal potential, as their selection as Junior Scholars demonstrates,” Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said in a news release. “I know they will work hard on achieving their potential, and it will be our educators’ joy to support them on this journey.”

The featured speaker was Ava Gerschutz, a Bluffton High School senior accepted to Purdue University who shared her experiences since being named a Junior Scholar in middle school, emphasizing that receiving college credit for her high school courses will assist in advancing her timeline to become a pilot.

“My hard work in school was very beneficial because now in college, instead of taking a lot of English or math classes, I will be able to take more aviation-related classes,” Gerschutz said. “When you are thinking about what you might want to do for a career or in college, taking those advanced classes will really pay off.”

The Junior Scholars Program was developed by the South Carolina Department of Education to identify 8^th Graders with exceptional academic talent and to develop strategies for inclusion into special programs that facilitate intellectual growth, broaden individual interests, and promote scholastic achievement. The program includes a process for screening, identifying, and recognizing students with high scholastic achievement and intellectual ability. Eligible students include those whose PSAT/NMSQT scores are 550 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing portion or 530 or higher on the Mathematics portion.

Students who qualify as Junior Scholars receive an award of merit from the South Carolina Department of Education as well as information regarding summer academic experiences sponsored by South Carolina colleges and universities. They can use that special recognition to bolster their applications to colleges and universities.

This year’s BCSD Junior Scholars are:

Beaufort Middle School

Ivy Lin

Bluffton Middle School

Amalia Banks, Kaley Claffy, Keri Claffy, Jensen Gooding, Jackson Gullett, Jordan Heaton, Ella Holloman, Grayson Jacob, Joshua Little, Luis Lopez Sanchez, Ryan Moisiade, Marina Onofrio, Harmony Phillips, Joaquin Porto-Manfru, Chelsea Salas, Grady Theiling, River Timmerman, Macy Wersler, Finlay Wrobel, Delaney Yanok.

H.E. McCracken Middle School

Leah Benbennick, Zachary Brosman, Cooper Bruggeman, Avalyn Colleran, Gracyn Corn, Landon Dunlap, Elijah Elam, Alexander Emsley, Kate Garofalo, Abagail Greenaway, Leah Hamilton, Abigail Heyward, Joseph James, Kaplan Lafountain, Camden Masterson, Reece McCoy, Ashley McDonnell, Kim Nguyen, Braylon Oliphant, Vivian Romanelli, Parker Star, Scott Stevens, Emma Thomas, Vincent Vu, Ariel Houston, Layla Garcia.

Hilton Head Island Middle School

Sunny-Lee Alsobrook, Rhys Arlett, Brianna Caballero-Delgado, Alexandra Compher, Emma Cooper, Benjamin Drake, Trent Howard, Isaac Jimenez-Morales, Johao Jimenez, Isaac Joseph, Nolan Kabala, Samuel Knowles, Natalie Miller, Caroline Monmonier, Madelyn Montag, Ana Maria Pulgarin Diaz

Isaac Roman, Danielle Ryan, Ariadna Santiago, Stella Simpson, Bethany Wardell, Kalin Wiszowaty, Elliott Witmer.

Lady’s Island Middle School

Kimberly Comerford, Santino Comunale, Ethan Draisen, Sarah Fillinger, Temperance Grubbs, Greyson Hemby, Alanna O’Quinn, Connor Sawejko, Kyla Smith.

River Ridge Academy

Acadia Bliman, Michael Briones, Ares Durrett, Mya Gomez-Zelaya, Gavin Goodrich, Cade Kepple, Reven Mancuso, Chiara McMorrow, Cole Peltz, MacKenzie Prat, Benjamin Schroeder.

Riverview Charter School

Maddox Adcox, Madison Bernhisel, Noah Clark, Paul Cosneau, Ella Hoogenboom, Kade Knapp, Tillman Kolb, David Musselman.

Robert Smalls Leadership Academy

Laylaa Barrett, Isaac Mendez, Andrianna Schuler.

These Covid tracking pages are no longer being updated. Get the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control, or find archived data from The Times’s three year reporting effort here.

Daily Covid-19 admissions in the Beaufort County area

About the data

Data is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalization data is a daily average of Covid-19 patients in hospital service areas that intersect with Beaufort County, an area which may be larger than Beaufort County itself.

The number of daily hospital admissions shows how many patients were admitted to hospitals for Covid and is one of the most reliably reported indicators of Covid’s impact on a community.

Total population

Ages 65 and up

Total population

Ages 65 and up

An updated vaccine is recommended for adults and most children. Statewide, 7% of vaccinations did not specify a home county.

Nearby hospitals

Share of I.C.U. beds occupied

About this data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Notes: The hospitals map shows the average I.C.U. occupancy at nearby hospitals in the most recent week with data reported. The data is self-reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by individual hospitals. It excludes counts from hospitals operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Indian Health Service. Numbers for hospitalized patients are based on inpatient beds and include I.C.U. beds. Hospitalized Covid-19 patients include both confirmed and suspected Covid-19 patients. The C.D.C. stopped reporting data on cases in May 2023.

How trends have changed in Beaufort County

About this data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Notes: Weekly county death data prior to Jan. 2021 was not reported by the C.D.C. and is sourced from reporting by The New York Times. Hospitalization data is a weekly average of Covid-19 patients in hospital service areas that intersect with Beaufort County. Hospitalization numbers early in the pandemic are undercounts due to incomplete reporting by hospitals to the federal government.

Historical trends in Beaufort County

The data in these charts has been archived and they are no longer being updated.

About this data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data in these charts has been archived and they are no longer being updated. Weekly county case data prior to Jan. 2021 was not reported by the C.D.C. and is sourced from reporting by The New York Times. The C.D.C. stopped reporting data on cases in May 2023. Test positivity data is based only on test results reported to the federal government and is a seven-day average.

By Jon Huang, Samuel Jacoby, Jasmine C. Lee, John-Michael Murphy, Charlie Smart and Albert Sun. Additional reporting by Sarah Cahalan, Lisa Waananen Jones, Amy Schoenfeld Walker and Josh Williams. See a full list of contributors to The Times’s Covid-19 data reporting here.

About the data

Data on this page is reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Population and demographic data is from the U.S. Census Bureau. Hospitalization data is reported by individual hospitals to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and it includes confirmed and suspected adult and pediatric patients. The C.D.C. does not provide complete vaccinations data for some counties and caps its vaccination rate figures at 95 percent.

The C.D.C. may make historical updates as more data is reported.

The C.D.C. stopped reporting data on Covid cases in May 2023.

There's a moment at Hunting Island State Park as you're biking along the Lagoon Trail—ocean breezes and intoxicating beach vistas playing peekaboo to your left—when the sandy path turns inland and a sign points to Diamondback Rattlesnake Trail. A good idea? Yes.

"Yes," it turns out, sums up the best way to experience Beaufort, South Carolina, and its environs, including Hunting Island. Yes, the path less taken is an excellent idea, as is the Sweet Tea Float at Scout Southern Market. Spending hours strolling through The Old Point and gazing at historic homes and even older live oaks offers endless enchantment. But with my eyes peeled for rattlers, I was (yes) relieved that the only serpentine thing I discovered was more of the winding trail along old dune ridge lines through a primordial wonderland.

The trail affirms why Hunting Island, a breathtaking 25-minute drive from Beaufort, is South Carolina's most popular state park. With a dozen similar paths and 5 miles of pristine beach, this place leads you back eons in time through an untouched maritime forest with towering pines and ospreys soaring overhead as well as magnolias and saw palmettos tangled with yaupon hollies and wax myrtles in the dense understory. Here you breathe deeper and look more closely. Life slows down, and a sense of awe percolates up.

Take In The Scenery At Waterfront Park

Take a seat on one of the bench swings at Beaufort's Waterfront Park. Wide and welcoming, they move back and forth in a rhythmic lullaby. You can't help relaxing, especially if you happen to catch a sunset or tune into the soft lapping of the Beaufort River against the floating dock, hearing the jingling clink of pulleys against sailboat masts—a mariner's wind chime.

Saltus River Grill, where the scenic setting rivals the exceptional food and drink. PHOTO: Peter Frank Edwards A slice of the sweet life from Beaufort’s upscale Saltus River Grill. PHOTO: Peter Frank Edwards

Waterfront Park showcases the smart civic planning that makes Beaufort such a delight: The town's best vistas are protected and preserved. There are thoughtful amenities (parking, public bathrooms, an amphitheater, picnic tables, and plenty of green lawn for kids and dogs to play on). Plus it's all conveniently adjacent to an enticing array of restaurants, coffee shops, and stores along Bay Street. What better nightcap than to sit and swing a spell after enjoying grilled scallops or top-notch sushi at Saltus River Grill?

Historic Craven Street. PHOTO: Peter Frank Edwards A rooftop sunset at Anchorage 1770. PHOTO: Peter Frank Edwards

Appreciate Beaufort's Subdued Beauty

Beaufort is subdued in the best possible way. She has the same deep history and stunning architecture that her nearby sisters, Charleston and Savannah, are celebrated for, but she's fine staying slightly out of the limelight. Wise and mature, Beaufort wears her age like the badge of honor it is. Her Lowcountry aura feels elemental, with more patina and less pomp. Along Short Street at the edge of The Old Point, moss-heaped limbs cradle historic mansions. Beaufort's treescape shouts of grandeur in whatever language oaks speak. Gardens and yards aren't so much manicured as they are magical. It's easy to see why Hollywood frequently comes calling (a stairwell at The Beaufort Inn features posters from major motion pictures filmed here). Longtime resident Pat Conroy was so smitten that he wrote, "When I came to Beaufort I had struck upon a land so beautiful I had to hunt for other words."

Learn About Beaufort's History

Not far from Short Street, the First African Baptist Church, a Gothic Revival gem built by freedmen in 1865, bears witness to Beaufort's African American, Gullah, and Reconstruction-era history. "Robert Smalls was a member here. This document notes his Sunday school attendance and that he put a few cents in the offering plate," says the Rev. Alexander McBride, a jovial former marine and the church's pastor of almost 20 years, pointing to framed, yellowing pages hanging behind the sanctuary. A statue of Smalls, an enslaved crewman who heroically commandeered a Confederate ship and later served as a U.S. Congressman, is less than a mile away at Tabernacle Baptist Church, where a monument to Harriet Tubman is also planned.

Both churches are worthy stops, along with the Penn Center, the first Southern school for formerly enslaved people, across the bridge on St. Helena Island. Each place gives a deeper insight into the region's vibrant and enduring African American and Gullah Geechee culture.

Providing an overview of Beaufort's past, Capt. Henry Brandt of Coastal Expeditions offers a boat tour that cruises through the area's Native American, Spanish, and French history; Union occupation; and a view of Camp Saxton's tabby ruins, where the Emancipation Proclamation was first read in South Carolina—all interspersed with musings on estuary ecosystems and the fecund marvels of pluff mud.

"You don't fully experience Beaufort until you see it from the water," Brandt claims. After watching dolphins curl and glide from the boat's bow and admiring the town's steeples rising in the background, I absolutely believe him.

Where To Stay

Anchorage 1770Boutique hotel in an 18th-century mansion with fine dining at the Ribaut Social Club; anchorage1770.com

The Beaufort InnHistoric main inn plus several cottages clustered around a courtyard; beaufortinn.com

Rhett House InnHistoric Greek revival mansion that's been a favorite of movie stars; rhetthouseinn.com

What To Eat And Drink

Blackstone's CaféClassic diner-like options; blackstonescafe.com

Red Rooster CafeExtensive breakfast menu, whether you like it country, continental, Lowcountry, or Tex Mex; facebook.com

Lowcountry Produce KitchenLocally sourced salads and sandwiches and a legendary tomato pie; lowcountryproduce.com

Chapman's GrocerGrab-and-go items plus beer, wine, and snacks; facebook.com

PlumsWaterfront dining featuring soups, salads, and sandwiches; plumsrestaurant.com

Saltus River GrillFine dining with fresh local seafood, Southern fare, steaks, sushi, and a well-curated wine list; saltusrivergrill.com

Old Bull TavernGastropub featuring a lively bar scene anda lamb shank that does not disappoint; oldbulltavern.com

Breakwater Restaurant and BarSeafood, steaks, and seasonal dishes with Southern flair; www.breakwatersc.com

Paninis on the WaterfrontStone-baked pizzas, paninis, seafood, and pastas; www.paninisonthewaterfront.com

Where To Shop

Scout Southern MarketUnique gifts and home goods as well as delicious treats like the famous float at the Sweet Tea Bar; scoutsouthernmarket.com

Bachelor Hill AntiquesOffering treasures galore; facebook.com

Cabana22Coastal-chic boutique; cabana22.com

The Chocolate TreeConfections such as fudge, truffles, and peanut brittle; facebook.com

The Beaufort Candy ShopClassic candies and sweet treats of every kind; facebook.com

Lisa Rivers Fine ArtGullah-inspired art, prints, and gifts; www.lisariversart.com

Cassandra Gillens Art / Gullah Art in De WoodsPaintings, posters, and gifts; www.cassandragillensarts.com

Good AuraSustainable clothing and jewelry boutique; shopgoodaura.com

Monkey's UncleToys, fun, and games for children of all ages; www.monkeysuncletoys.com

What To Do

Hunting Island; southcarolinaparks.comSt. Phillips IslandPat Conroy Literary Center; patconroyliterarycenter.orgCoastal Expeditions; coastalexpeditions.comReconstruction Era National Historic Park; nps.gov/reerSpanish Moss Trail; spanishmosstrail.comCraven Street en route to The Old Point to explore historic neighborhoods