The scale Bateaux model boat, which was constructed by Dennis Cannady, was the overwhelming choice of Beaufort History Museum members and their guests for Museum display at Thursday's (September 15, 2022)  Hidden Beaufort Treasures Event.  A bateau or batteau is a shallow-draft, flat-bottomed boat which was used extensively across North America, especially in the colonial period and in the fur trade.  It was traditionally pointed at both ends but came in a wide variety of sizes. The name derives from the French word, bateau, which is simply the word for boat. "Bateaux" is actually the plural form spelling. In the southern United States, the term was and is still used to refer to flat-bottomed boats in general.

The Bateaux model received 52% of the votes cast with the closest competitor, the Japanese Bowl, receiving 29% of the votes. The remaining artifacts (Seamstress' Fluter and College of Beaufort Plaque) tied for third place.

Beaufort, SC. July 22, 2022.  There will be a presentation by Dr. Larry Rowland and City Councilman, Phil Cromer about Stuarts Town in the Arsenal Courtyard on Monday, August 8, 2022, from 12 PM - 1 PM.  Topics include the town’s abbreviated history and the current ongoing archaeological digs in downtown Beaufort to try to find out exactly where Stuarts Town was. There will be a "Q" and "A" period following their presentations.  The presentation will also be available on the City of Beaufort's Facebook page.  The event is open to the public at no charge.

Please click here to view the City of Beaufort's press release about this event.

In November 1684, a group of 51 Scots arrived in Port Royal Sound to establish a permanent settlement to be called Stuarts Town. But where exactly was Stuarts Town located? That's the mystery that Stuarts Town Action Group (STAG) hopes to solve as it launches an exploratory archaeological dig with that as its goal.

Click here to view the City of Beaufort's press release on the start of this project.

Click here to visit the STAG website and learn more about this exciting archaeological search occurring in the heart of Beaufort's Historic District.

Mary Legree, Beaufort History Museum Board Member as well as Museum Greeter, appeared on national TV on February 28, 2022. Mary, along with the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Executive Director, Victoria Smalls, were interviewed by Kenneth Moton as part of the feature entitled "Preserving the Gullah Geechee culture in the U.S."  on ABC's GMA3 daytime news program. Click here to view this interview.

Click here to view a video of the 79th New York Highlanders Regiment December 4, 2021, encampment event at the Beaufort Arsenal and Beaufort History Museum and tribute to the Civll War fallen at Beaufort National Cemetery. 

Seventeen docents enjoyed lunch at Dataw Country Club on November 16th when we held our deferred annual meeting.  Bill Skipper gave an update on the planned Phase 2a exhibit, and Tom Kelley reviewed the Museum’s success throughout the recent pandemic-related difficulties and plans for the future.

Interested in becoming a Beaufort History Museum Docent or Greeter?  Visit our Volunteer page to learn more about what it means to be a docent and how you can become one.

Beaufort, SC:  The Beaufort History Museum will host the encampment of the 79th New York Highlander Regiment in a reenactment of events that forever changed Beaufort in 1861.

The reenactors will encamp in The Arsenal Courtyard (713 Craven St.) and present live presentations of Civil War era camp life, educational discussions, drills, marching, bagpiping, and interactive activities for the entire family, Saturday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 

Beaufort History Museum members will have a special opportunity to have coffee with the reenactors, 9:00-10:00 a.m., Dec. 4, at the Arsenal. Non-members may click here to learn more about different membership subscription levels and join.

Included in the presentations are discussions and live demonstrations of the importance of music and bugle calls during the War, the variety and use of weapons including cannon, how medical support was deployed in the field, the role of women, camp “dining” and cooking, and other relevant topics.

Admission to the event is free (donations will be accepted). Admission to the Beaufort History Museum will be discounted for Adults ($5) and Seniors ($4). Active military and children under 12 are free.

The Beaufort History Museum, which was founded in 1939, has evolved to focus specifically on the deep and rich history of the Beaufort District. It strives to manage and display artifacts and documents held by the City of Beaufort, telling the compelling stories of this area, from the early 16th century until modern times. For information on all the Museum events, visit BeaufortHistoryMuseum.com, or follow the Museum’s Facebook page.

Beaufort History Museum, in cooperation with the Coastal Discovery Museum of Hilton Head Island, is pleased to announce the opening of the Santa Elena Exhibit.  Both Museums have worked together over the past few months to coordinate the best displays within Coastal Discovery Museum’s extensive collection that would best convey the Santa Elena story to Beaufort History Museum’s visitors.  The Exhibit is planned to be available at Beaufort History Museum long term while Coastal Discovery Museum completes a new exhibition space for the Santa Elena Center at its Hilton Head Island location.  Completion is planned for 2022.

When and Where was America first settled by Europeans?  Was it Jamestown or Plymouth as many learned in grammar school?  Or, was it much earlier, right here in Beaufort County – in Santa Elena?   The period from 1492 when Columbus arrived in the New World through the end of the 1500s is a crucial period in the history of North America.  What happened over these one hundred-plus years in what would become the United States’ southeast has been lost in many history books.  The Exhibit’s maps, diagrams and a video presentations will bring the events and places from several centuries to life.

The story of Santa Elena includes papal court intrigue and interference in the geo-politics of the New World, religious intolerance, monarchy rivalry between England, France, and Spain, naval ship battles, early settlements along the southeast coast of the “New World”, indigenous peoples tribal partnerships, exploitation, slavery, and revolt, courage and the start of a New World order that help define the beginnings of America. 

Make your plans to visit the Beaufort History Museum where you will see the Santa Elena Exhibit.  The Museum’s regular hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 AM to 4 PM and 10 AM to 3 PM on Saturdays.   Due to continued personnel shortfalls during the ongoing pandemic, we recommend you call beforehand to confirm Museum staff availability (843.525.8500).

The Beaufort History Museum has openings for trained docents, and will hold a three-day docent training session for interested persons, July 28-30, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., in Beaufort, S.C.

Docents greet visitors from all over the country to the Museum, conduct tours, and relate the remarkable 500-plus year history of Beaufort and the Sea Islands during their tour.

Details regarding the docent position may be found at https://beauforthistorymuseum.wildapricot.org/docent-education.

Click here to register for this training.

Preserving local history initiative is strengthened

The Beaufort History Museum Board of Directors elected five new members at its April 9, 2021, meeting.

“Our ability to achieve the Museum’s mission of preserving local history has been strengthened by these additions to our existing strong Board”, said Steve Guida, the Museum’s President. “These highly accomplished individuals of varied backgrounds, bring a common love of Beaufort’s history and a desire to preserve it for the education and enjoyment of local residents and visitors,” said Guida.

The new members are (l. to r.):

Ginnie Kozak has been many things: historian, regional and transportation planner, management consultant, business professor, home renovator, writer, publisher, and swimmer. She has lived in Beaufort for almost 30 years.

James Kemper Millard is a retired senior corporate communications director and family farm manager, who also served as president of the Lexington (Ky.) History Museum and Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation.

John Warley is a local writer with six published books and the author of the Beaufort History Museum's Reconstruction narrative currently on display at the Old Firehouse, 706 Craven Street, as part of the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park.

Ryan Copeland is a Beaufort native and the author of three nonfiction books about the area and its inhabitants. He currently serves as the media specialist at Battery Creek High School.

Also elected as an ex-officio member was Robb Wells (not pictured), president & CEO, Greater Beaufort-Port Royal Convention and Visitors Bureau. Wells is a 16-year veteran of destination marketing.

The Beaufort History Museum, which was founded in 1939, has evolved to focus specifically on the deep and rich history of the Beaufort District. It strives to manage and display artifacts and documents held by the City of Beaufort, telling the compelling stories of this area, from the early 16th century until modern times. For information on all the Museum events, visit www.BeaufortHistoryMuseum.com, or follow the Museum’s Facebook page.