Downtown Beaufort’s John Mark Verdier House has recently undergone an extensive facelift. The home has served as a well-preserved museum since 1975, giving visitors a glimpse into the home of a wealthy Beaufort merchant and landowner. Master craftsmen have been working diligently since February to restore the exterior and return the house to its former glory. The work is now complete. A ribbon cutting and reopening ceremony will take place this Saturday, May 8th, at 10 am.
The picture on the left shows the Verdier House before the 2021 exterior restoration. The picture on the right shows the Verdier House as it looks today, after the restoration. Photos by Historic Beaufort Foundation.
The house museum was built in 1804 by a successful merchant and planter. The house was visited by the Marquis de Lafayette on his southern tour in 1825, and later served as the Federal Headquarters by Union troops during the Civil War’s occupation of Beaufort. Luckily, the house remained in the Verdier family until the 1940s. It did, however, led a very colorful life in the early twentieth century. It served as a restaurant, telephone exchange and barber shop. These destructive uses put the house into disrepair. It was slated for demolition in 1944, but a committed group of citizens, that would later be known as the Historic Beaufort Foundation, acquired the house, renovated it, and opened it to the public in 1975.
Civil War occupation.Civil War occupation.The building saw many uses.Before restoration.The Lafayette Building postcard.1975 restoration.Images found on Historic Beaufort Foundation’s Facebook page.
The Verdier House was once called the Lafayette House because of the 1825 visit by the Marquis de Lafayette during his tour of the south.
Photo by HBF.Photo by Carmen Pinckney.Photo by HBF.Photo by Carmen Pinckney.Photo by HBF.Photo by HBF.Existing paint was hand-scrapped, rotten weatherboards were replaced and new paint was applied to the house and shutters.
Spend a day on the River with Coastal Expeditions South
Image by Carmen Pinckney
Image from Coastal Expeditions South.
If your idea of fun is getting out on the river to learn about native wildlife and history, Coastal Expeditions South has a tour for you! The highly skilled boat captains and their crew have four options in Beaufort: St. Phillip’s Island, Beaufort Dolphin and History, Hunting Island Dolphin Cruise, or a private boat charter. Coastal Expeditions has been in business in Charleston since 1992. In 2020 they decided to branch farther south to Beaufort and the Sea Islands. Let their experienced guides weave stories of local history and point out wildlife native to the Beaufort coast.
St. Phillip’s Island was recently acquired by Hunting Island State Park. For nearly 40 years, conservationist and cable television mogul Ted Turner and his family used this sea island as a retreat. During their ownership, trails were carved throughout the maritime forest and wildlife habitats were restored. St. Phillip’s Island is a nature-lover’s paradise. Walk under canopies of moss-draped live oaks in search of fox squirrels, bobcats, bald eagles, roseate spoonbills, and painted buntings. Stroll the pristine beach and look for loggerhead sea turtles and wading birds. Walk along the fresh-water ponds and spot alligators sunning along the banks.
Images from Coastal Expeditions South website.
This naturalist-led ecotour departs from the Hunting Island State Park Nature Center. Travel by boat along the Story River to the St. Phillip’s dock. A park ranger will greet visitors and provide a 3.5-mile tram ride to the beach. Ramble along the beach, hike the interior trails and enjoy all the island has to offer. At the end of the trip, the park ranger will take visitors back to the dock for the return boat ride. It’s a good idea to bring a backpack with drinking water, lunch, camera, sunblock, and insect repellant.
Beaufort is a beautiful and historic city that is best viewed from the water. The Beaufort Dolphin and History Cruise departs from the downtown marina. As you cruise along the waterfront, your captain will tell stories from local history from early Native American s and Spanish exploration to French settlement and English colonization. As the boat travels along the river native wildlife will be pointed out and discussed. Many varieties of birds and marine mammals are sure to be spotted.
Image by Carmen Pinckney.
Image from Ft. Frederick Heritage Preserve.
The cruise passes the ruins of Ft. Frederick, an early American fort made of tabby construction. During the Civil War, this fort was transformed into Fort Saxon and was the training facility of the first black regiment for the Union Army. The Emancipation Proclamation was also read here on January 1, 1862. This cruise is entertaining for all age groups. The boat is Coast Guard-certified, and a master captain is at the helm. Be sure to pack drinking water, binoculars, camera, and a wind breaker.
Monday/Wednesday/Saturday/Sunday, 11 am – 12:30 pm
Coastal Expedition South’s Hunting Island Dolphin Cruise is fun for kids of all ages. This is a family-friendly ecotour that explores the estuary of the Story River where bottlenose dolphin flourish. While searching for dolphin, the tour also searches for bald eagles, ospreys, and other native birds of prey. Often their nests can be spotted as well. Brown pelicans, roseate spoonbills, wood storks, herons and egrets are sure to be spotted as well!
Images from Coastal Expeditions South website.
The on-board naturalist will also entertain visitors with stories of local history dating from American Indians to European settlers. Be sure to pack drinking water, binoculars, camera, and a windbreaker.
Wednesdays & Sundays at 10 – 11:30 am
Image by Carmen Pinckney.Image by Coastal Expeditions South.
Looking for a private charter on the river? Coastal Expeditions South has a fleet of three boats ready to take you on a tour of the Beaufort area. An outing with family and friends can be easily arranged. A trip can be tailored around the needs and interests of your guests. Private tours can revolve around dolphins, local history, St. Phillip’s Island and more. You can even schedule a sunset cruise.
Image by Carmen Pinckney.
Image by Coastal Expeditions South.
Private tours are available for booking year-round. Boat captains and mates are trained naturalists and gifted storytellers. Their knowledge of local history and wildlife is extensive and entertaining.
Images by Carmen Pinckney.
The ladies of the Lowcountry Tourism Commission were treated to a private tour of the Beaufort River. We departed from the downtown marina and headed toward Port Royal Sound. Along the way we were treated to visits by dolphins, snowy egrets, oyster catchers, double-crested cormorants, and a nesting osprey. Along the way, we were delighted with stories of history and nature by the talented and gifted Captain Henry Brandt. He is a natural-born storyteller and comedian, all rolled into one! His knowledge of the Lowcountry shoreline habitat is second to none! His tour was educational and entertaining, and I would definitely recommend his tour services to anyone looking to explore the natural wonder of Beaufort and her surrounding sea islands.
Strawberries are plentiful at Breland Hill Farms. Photo found on their Facebook page. Lettuce image taken at Dempsey Farms by Jackie Miller.
Farm fresh local produce can be found during the spring and summer months throughout the SC Lowcountry. From u-pick farms, to produce stands and farmers markets, seasonal produce is abundant in our neck of the woods!
Images found on Dempsey Farms and Okatee River Brand Produce Facebook pages.
U-Pick
Beaufort County
You can find Dempsey Farms on the way to Hunting Island State Park, Harbor and Fripp Islands. The farm has various produce throughout the seasons, starting with strawberries in April. They are a working family farm growing produce for the last sixty years. For a farm fresh experience stop by and pick with us. Follow their Facebook page to see what is available.
1576 Sea Island Pkwy. St Helena Island, SC 29920 843-838-3656
Bluffton’s Okatee River Farms has a great selection of local fruit and produce. This small family farm is located 1/2 mile from 278 in Bluffton, SC. They grow tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, okra, peppers and strawberries. April and May is the perfect time to stop by for u-pick strawberries. Follow their Facebook page to see what’s available.
1921 Okatie Hwy. Okatie SC 843-206-5023
Colleton County
Breland Hill Farm is a multigenerational family farm raising fruits, vegetables, and much more! A market is located in Ruffin. Housed in a repurposed tobacco barn, they grow, process, and sell all of their farm products here. U-pick strawberry fields are also located here. Visit their Facebook page to see what’s in season.
849 Spence Dr. Ruffin, SC 29475 843-866-7560 Call for hours of operation.
Shop at the Farm
Pictures found on Morning Glory Homestead and Whippoorwill Farms Facebook pages.
BeaufortCounty
Morning Glory Homesteadis a family farm on St. Helena Island, which uses sustainable agriculture methods to feed the community. This small family farm began as a homestead for a family of seven. Visitors to the farm can buy seasonal produce, bakery items, eggs and honey. You can also call to schedule a farm tour. The tour includes the rich history of the Gullah community.
Mon – Fri: By Appointment 42 Robert & Clara Trail St. Helena Island, SC 843-812-0344
Bluffton’s Okatee River Farms has a great selection of local fruit and produce. They currently have u-pick strawberries. They are also currently planting sunflowers for harvest. They also have seasonal fruit and veggies throughout the year. Visit their Facebook page to see what’s in season.
1921 Okatie Hwy. Okatie SC 843-206-5023
Colleton
Kindlewood Farms was born from the interest in the age old techniques of grafting and a passion to create quality, sustainable produce. We are dedicated to producing high quality heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, okra, corn, squash, cucumbers, watermelon, and cantaloupe. We also grow grafted heirloom tomato plants and grafted cucurbits. Visit their Facebook page to see what’s in season and where to find them.
kindlewood.farms@gmail.com (843)302-2312
Jasper County
If you are in Jasper County and looking for fresh eggs, look no farther than Earleah Plantation. Call for more information or to order and pick up fresh eggs. 843-540-2200, earleahvintageglass@gmail.com
Whipporwhill Farmsis a40-acre small family farm offering fresh chicken, rabbit and pork as well as fresh eggs and seasonal veggies. Come to the farm Monday, Wednesday or Sunday to shop on site, or find them at the Hilton Head Farmers Market at Coastal Discovery Museum on Tuesdays. Visit their Facebook page to see what’s in stock.
870 Tillman Road Ridgeland, SC 843-473-5231
Hampton County
Murdaugh Farms is a family-owned and operated farm offering a large variety of produce throughout the year. Some of the produce offered include the well-known Hampton County watermelons, squash (several varieties), cucumbers, zucchini, corn, red potatoes and other varieties of potatoes, okra, carrots, collard greens and many other types of produce. As produce becomes available, it will be posted on the Facebook page. We sell our produce both to the wholesale and retail markets as well as to individual buyers looking for just enough for a meal or two.
22603 Pocotaligo Road Early Branch, SC 803-942-3814
Drawdy Farms is a family-owned business, selling fresh locally grown fruits and veggies. Their produce stand is open year around, with whatever is in season at the time. We proudly serve the low country and support local farmers. Join their Facebook page for weekly updates!
2598 Hopewell Rd Brunson, SC
The Bluffton Farmers Market is open on Thursdays. Image by Donna Carretta. The Hilton Head Farmers Market is open on Tuesdays. Image found on Beach Properties of Hilton Head.
The Port Royal Farmer’s Market is open Saturdays, from 9 am-noon, rain or shine. You will find fresh, local, seasonal produce, shrimp, oysters, poultry, beef, pork, eggs, bread and cheese. If you have a green thumb, look for plants, ferns, camellias, azaleas, citrus trees and beautiful, fresh cut flower bouquets. Check out the fabulous prepared food vendors serving BBQ, dumplings, she crab soup, crab cakes, paella, coffee, baked goods, bagels and breakfast sandwiches. Find them at the Port Royal Naval Heritage Park at the intersection of Ribaut Road and Pinckney Blvd.
The BlufftonFarmers Market is open Thursdays, from 12-5 pm. Come find fresh, locally grown vegetables, fruits, flowers, plants and herbs at the Farmers Market of Bluffton. Gather with locals and tourists at this weekly community event to buy excellent produce, enjoy delicious food, listen to entertainment, and relax with friends. Located in historic downtown Bluffton along Calhoun and Lawrence Streets and through Carson Cottages, this family friendly market showcases local growers, local food vendors, local entertainment, local community causes and local information about the Bluffton area. Find them at 71 Green Street in historic Bluffton.
Come to the Hilton Head Island Farmers Market at Coastal Discovery Museum and take home fresh produce, chicken, rabbit, pork, seafood, salsa, fresh sausage, beef, meals to cook, cookies, breads, she crab soup and much more! The market is open every Tuesday from 10-3 in the spring, summer and fall. Hours shorten to 9 am-1 pm in the winter. Shopping at the Hilton Head Farmers Market is about more than getting great food, it is about meeting friends, strengthening the community, and rebuilding the local food economy. Find the Hilton Head Farmers Market on the grounds of Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, on Hilton Head Island.
The Ridgeland Farmers Market hosts a variety of vendors, including produce, baked goods, prepared meals, arts, crafts and estate sales. The market is located on Main Street in downtown Ridgeland. They are open Fridays, from 1-6 pm.
Sea Eagle Market is a family owned and operated retail and wholesale market and catering company located at 2149 Boundary St. in Beaufort. Stop by and pick up soft shell crabs, shrimp and more! Open Monday thru Saturday, from 9 am – 6 pm. For daily information visit their Facebook page. (843)521-5090
Maggioni Oyster Company is South Carolina’s largest provider of premium quality wild-harvested bushels and single oysters. They harvest oysters at low tide, wash off the briny mud, and deliver them directly to their customers. Maggioni Oyster Company first opened on Daufuskie Island in 1883 and later built a cannery in Beaufort. They have been family owned and operated for five generations. Find them at 440 Eddings Point Rd, on St. Helena Island. (912)844-1031
Lady’s Island Oysters specializes in single lady oysters, grown in the clean, crisp waters of the SC Lowcountry. The estuaries that nurture their oysters are filled with pure salt water flowing directly from the Atlantic Ocean. Great pride is taken to nurture oysters from hatchery to harvest. Find them at 35 Hutson Drive, in Seabrook. (843)473-5018
Bluffton
Bluffton Oyster Company has been a family run operation since 1899. The Bluffton Oyster Company actually sits on reclaimed land, built up by more than a hundred years of discarded shells from previous shucking operations. The oyster business thrived in early Bluffton and throughout the 1920’s, with five different oyster operations in the area. Now the Bluffton Oyster Company remains the last hand-shucking house in the state of South Carolina. They specialize in fresh local seafood; oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish filets, soft shell crabs and live blue crabs. Hours of operation are 9 am – 5:30 pm, Monday thru Saturday. You can also purchase fried shrimp, oysters and soft shell crab at the Bluffton Farmers Market on Thursdays. Find them at 63 Wharf St. (843)757-4010
Edisto Island
Flowers Seafood has been commercially fishing and serving fresh, local seafood on Edisto Island for four generations. Come into their family owned seafood market and browse the selection of fresh, wild caught seafood. They have a large selection of fish, shrimp, crabs, and other seafood that comes “fresh off the boat” daily. If you’re interested in cooked food try their “To-Go” restaurant located right behind Flowers Seafood Company. The same fresh seafood is made ready to order. Stop by on your way to Edisto Beach. The market is open Monday-Saturday, from 9 am-6 pm, and Sunday 9 am-5 pm. The Flowers Seafood To-Go Food Truck is open Thursday-Saturday 11 am-7 pm. They are located just six miles from the beach at 1914 Hwy 174, Edisto Island, SC (843)869-0033 (Market), (843)869-3303 (kitchen/to-go orders)
Ridgeland
Fiddler’s Seafood Market and Restaurant is a historical and beloved destination where fresh seafood is enjoyed and homemade goods are shared. Fiddlers gives customers an authentic taste of local, old-fashioned southern comfort. Their seafood is either caught by Fiddler’s owner, Billy Rowell on his very own boat or purchased from local fishermen. Within walking distance of their restaurant is the seafood market, where customers can bring home southern hospitality in its finest form. Fresh produce, homemade baked goods, and local crafts are all created by our own staff, or by the artisans of the Ridgeland, SC community. Visit their Facebook page to see what’s going on in the restaurant and market, or visit for yours self. The restaurant is located at 7738 West Main Street, (843)726-6681. The seafood market is just around the corner at 572 South Green Street, (843)726-6691.
Hampton
Tuten’s Fresh Market Meat and Seafood is Hampton’s finest local butcher shop. This family owned business has been around for over 30 years. Ran by an expert butcher and grill master, Tuten’s is dedicated to delivering the very best meat and freshest seafood, with farm fresh produce and some staple grocery items as well! Come by and see them sometime. They’ll be glad to help you find anything you are looking for as well as give you some great tips for seasoning, marinating, and grilling your meals to perfection. Located at 604 Elm St. in Hampton, (803)943-4670. Visit their Facebook page for daily updates.
The Congaree Golf Club is the home of this 2021 PGA Tour event!
The Palmetto Championship, a PGA Tour event, will be held June 7-13 in Ridgeland at the Congaree Golf Club. This one-time event will fill the spot left open when the 2021 RBC Canadian Open was cancelled. This official FedEx Cup event will field 156 golfers.
Photos by Russell Kirk.
Governor Henry McMaster recently announced the event and said, “South Carolina is open for business and we are proud to have the opportunity to take advantage of this unique opportunity. This nationally televised, elite tournament will give people from around the world a chance to see all that South Carolina has to offer and will jumpstart our tremendous tourism industry. We are grateful to the PGA Tour and Congaree’s owner, Dan Friedkin, for this opportunity to highlight our great state.”
Congaree Golf Club Plantation House
Congaree Golf Club Schoolhouse
Photos by Russell Kirk.
The Congaree Golf Club was built on Davant Plantation. The original Greek Revival home on this historic property was burned in 1865 by Sherman’s troops. The circa 1820 that we see today was dismantled and transferred piece-by-piece to this site from a neighboring property that was also owned by the Davant family. This property was also the principal backdrop for scenes in the 1995 movie Something to Talk About. The club launched the Global Golf Initiative to target underprivileged high school students who are passionate about golf and show academic promise. They even built a schoolhouse on the property to prepare students for college admissions. Congaree’s Palmetto Championship joins the list of other 2021 significant tournaments in the state including the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, the PGA Championship on Kiawah Island and Greenville’s annual BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation.
Congaree Golf Club.
Congaree Golf Course.
Images by Russell Kirk and Golf Digest.
The 2021 Palmetto Championship at Congaree will be broadcast on CBS, Golf Channel and PGA TOUR LIVE, and internationally on GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR.
It’s always a good time to go fishing in the South Carolina Lowcountry! We offer a true sportsman’s paradise! Our unique landscape provides many spots for anglers to prove their skills in both fresh and salt water. Our state parks are a great place to “catch the big one”, but don’t forget to pick up a valid South Carolina fishing license before dropping a line into the water.
Hunting Island State Park has five miles of beaches to fish, along with Johnson Creek, a salt-water lagoon, and an ocean inlet. Fish for trout, redfish, and flounder. Head over to the fishing pier at the southern tip of the park to try your luck. The pier extends 1,120 feet into the Fripp Inlet, where snapper, grouper and bigger varieties are found. Bait, equipment and other supplies can be purchased at the park store in the campground. The park also has a tackle loaner program. Rods and reels are available at the nature center for use on the pier. The park has a boat ramp that has access to both Harbor River and Fripp Inlet. Bring the camper and stay for a while in the beachfront campground. Hunting Island State Park 2555 Sea Island Pkwy Beaufort, SC 843-838-2011
Image by Jeff Wayne.Edisto Beach State Park
Fish along the surf at Edisto Beach State Park or head over to the salt marsh. Flounder, whiting, redfish, and other saltwater fish can be caught here. Want to bring the boat? A boat ramp and dock with access to Big Bay Creek can be found in the park. Edisto Beach State Park also has a beachfront campground. Edisto Beach State Park 8377 State Cabin Road Edisto Island, SC 843-869-2156
Image by John Lugoff.ERCKT image
Colleton State Park connects to Givhans Ferry State Park to offer 23 miles of freshwater, blackwater fishing. The park is conveniently located off Interstate 95 at Exit 68. A boat ramp is just ¼ miles away, with easy access to the Edisto River, one of the longest free flowing blackwater rivers in the country. Fish by boat or along the shore for bream, redbreast and catfish. The park is also the headquarters for the Edisto River Canoe and Kayak Trail. This park participates in the tackle loaner program. Rods and reels are available for loan at the park office. Colleton State Park also has a campground. Colleton State Park 147 Wayside Lane Walterboro, SC 843-538-8206
Photo by Doug Noll.Lowcountry Tourism Commission.
Lake Warren State Park is located in Hampton, SC. Lake Warren is a 200-acre lake that offers freshwater fishing and boating. Fish this freshwater lake for largemouth bass, brim, redbreast, crappie, and catfish. The lake has two different boat ramps for boats with 10 horsepower motors. Jon boats are also available for rent year-round. Boats come complete with trolling motor, life jackets and paddles. Rentals are available through the park ranger. The lake also has a fishing dock. Lake Warren State Park 1079 Lake Warren Road Hampton, SC 803-943-5051
Looking for more fishing opportunities? We have marinas, and multiple charter fishing services. Have your own boat? We have 31 boat ramps in both fresh and salt water, fishing piers and artificial reefs. Fishing in South Carolina is popular year-round for fresh water, large mouth, red-breast, and catfish. The salt-water species vary from trout, redfish and flounder inshore to marlin, dolphin, king mackerel, snapper, grouper and much more offshore. Choose from a half dozen rivers, a beautiful little lake, or a great big ocean. Like shell fish? Catch your own shrimp and crabs, or dig clams and harvest oysters.
Looking for a dog-friendly place to commune with nature? Widgeon Point Preserve is Beaufort County’s newest passive park. Here you’ll find 162 acres of mixed pine-hardwood forest, maritime forest, and salt marsh along the Broad River. Located on Lemon Island, off Hwy 170, the preserve is co-owned by Beaufort County and the Beaufort County Open Land Trust.
Sidewalks lead from the paved parking lot to a picnic pavilion, a bird blind, and an event barn. A 0.7-mile hiking loop travels the perimeter of the adjacent hummock island. The loop is a wide, flat nature trail that travels through pines, palms, and oak trees. Views of the river can be seen from several different vantage points.
Photo by Jeff Coyle.Photo by Will Moore.Photo by Sophie Shade.
The preserve is a great spot for picnicking, hiking, and wildlife viewing. There’s even a water fountain that is equipped for dogs. While hiking, keep a keen eye for white-tailed deer, bald eagles, fox squirrels and wading birds. Alligators have also been seen in the fresh-water ponds, so be careful to keep the dogs away from the water’s edge.
The various coastal habitats of Widgeon Point Preserve support a rich diversity of wildlife and plants. Visitors have extraordinary opportunities to observe the natural beauty of the Lowcountry. The preserve is open daily, from dawn to dusk.
Widgeon Point Preserve 43 Okatie Hwy, Beaufort, SC
Walterboro’s Hickory Valley Historic District lies northwest of the National Historic District. The district once had four key properties and fifteen supporting properties. Most of the buildings were constructed between 1821 and 1929 and reflect the architectural characteristics of the period. The homes include a concentration of early homes dating from Walterboro’s heyday as a pineland resort village for lowcountry planters.
Walterboro was founded in 1784 by planters seeking a healthy climate away from the malarial swamps of the Lowcountry. Modest summer cottages soon clustered in a thriving summer resort. The area of Hickory Valley was bound by Webb, Verdier, Valley and Witsell Streets. The area became a town commons, where military drills were performed, political meetings were held and recreation was enjoyed.
334 Wichman Street is home to this one-story Victorian frame residence built in 1910. A veranda extends across the entire front. It is supported by turned posts with sawn brackets. A balustrade connects the posts. The hip roof has a central cross gable with an arched vent and fish-scale shingles. The entrance has a transom and sidelights.
2. The Jones-McDaniel House at 418 Wichman Street was originally built as a one-story structure in 1835 by Jenkins Jones. The McDaniel family purchased the home and altered its appearance drastically in 1935. A semicircular portico was added with four colossal Iconic columns and oversized Scamozzi capitals. One story verandas extend from both sides of the central portico.
3. 125 Magnolia Street is home to this two-story frame house with two tiers of verandas. It was built in 1905 with a superimposed portico. Two Iconic columns on brick bases support a centered pediment. The lower veranda wraps around the sides of the home. It is supported by paired wooden columns on brick bases. The upper veranda has single columns.
4. The Beach-Fogarty House is located at 102 Webb Street. This house was built in 1910. It is a one-half story residence sheathed in weatherboard. The hip roof is accented with a pediment over the portico. The central doorway is surrounded by sidelights and a fanlight.
5. 201 Webb Street is the home of the Edward B. Fishburne House. Built circa 1829, this gable roof frame residence is sheathed in weatherboard. A shed-roofed veranda extends across the façade. It is supported by four square pillars. The five-bay façade has a central doorway complete with elliptical fanlight and sidelights. This house was once one of four key properties of the historic district. It is the only one that is still standing.
6. This one-story frame house can be found at 202 Webb Street. The exterior is covered in weatherboard and has a jerkinhead roof. A central hooded chimney rises from the roof. The entrance is protected by a small, pedimented portico.
Built circa 1920, the one and a half story frame house can be found at 205 Valley Street. A gable roof extends over the front porch with a quadruple window in the gable end. The front parch is supported by six wooden pillars. The central entry is surrounded by a transom and sidelights.
Hickory Valley was designated a Historic District in 1980. It includes several of the earliest and most prominent homes of Walterboro. Major architectural styles from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are represented. The seven homes presented are all that remains of the district.
Part 2 of the Nationally Recognized Historic District.
The Walterboro National Historic District is characterized by diversity. The buildings in the National Register of Historic Places inventory range from the early nineteenth century when Walterboro was a summer retreat for antebellum planters to Greek Revival homes and late nineteenth century Victorians. Twentieth century Colonial Revivals and bungalows have been beautifully preserved as well. Gothic Revival and Queen Anne churches can also be found in historic Walterboro.
While the first part of the Walterboro National Historic District Tour focused on Wichman and surrounding streets, the second part of the Historic Walterboro Walking Tour will focus on the homes of Hampton, Carn and surrounding streets.
41. The O.T. Canady house at 109 Carn Street was built before 1890. The one-story frame house has prominent front gable with an oversized louvered opening. The veranda has turned Victorian posts and a decorative frieze in the entablature. Brackets enhance the gable. Paired windows flank the doorway, which is complete with transom and sidelights.
42. The Paul Hamilton Fripp House is located at 111 South Walter Street. Built in 1848, this house is the oldest of three Greek Revival homes in the neighborhood with similar design. A distinctive Greek key design in the wide entablature is the main focus below the parapet roofline. The symmetrical five-bay façade contains a centered doorway that is surrounded with a transom and sidelights. The veranda is supported by six square pillars with caps and turned balusters.
43. Walterboro City Hall can be found at 242 Hampton Street. This structure was built in the 1930s as a WPA project. It was later remodeled with the addition of a Palladian façade. The portico is supported with four Doric columns on high brick bases. The entablature has a denticulated cornice. Twin curving stairs are sheltered under the portico. The main entrance is centered and has a classic surround with pilasters, a pediment, and a large transom.
44. The Stokes-Smoak House sits at 248 Hampton Street. It is currently used as the City Hall Annex. Built in 1931, this two-story house was once the Camellia Inn. The bungalow style porch continues across the front and along the left side. It has square pillars on brick piers and a wide entablature. Exposed rafters are visible below the rooflines.
45. The Gahagan House is found at 422 Hampton Street. The rambling one-story home was built in 1905. The later addition of a bungalow porch with paneled, tapered posts on brick piers. A hip-roofed dormer has three windows. The porch wraps around both sides of the house. The façade is symmetrical with five bays. The central door has a transom and sidelights.
46. The Walterboro Water Tower can be seen from the corner of Memorial Avenue and Hampton Street. It raises 132 feet high and was made from 100,000 gallons of concrete. The tower was constructed in 1915 for city water storage. The first floor of the building was once used as a city jail. The tower can be seen across the downtown area.
47. The two- story house at 434 Hampton Street was built before 1883 and drastically altered in 1912. The pedimented porticos have rounded windows and paired, paneled square pillars with Ionic capitals. A balustrade surrounds the second level of the portico. A first level porch extends the five-bay façade. Both levels have central doorways complete with transom and sidelights.
48. The Godfrey House is at 445 Hampton Street. This substantial two-story frame house was built before 1905. It has a two-tiered veranda extending across the five-bay façade. Substantial tapered columns set on square brick piers support the lower porch roof while turned colonettes and a balustrade support and secure the second. A wide paneled frieze runs between the two levels. The entrance is framed with a narrow multilight transom and multilight sidelights.
49. The Stokes-Hiott House can be found at 458 Hampton Street. This asymmetrical two-story house was built between 1912 and 1920. The off-center portico has four giant Doric columns supporting the pediment. The main entrance has a louvered fanlight and sidelights. A porte cochere with a sunroom above sits to the right of the house and a first-floor addition is on the left.
50. The Padgett House is located at 461 Hampton Street. It was built in 1905. The one-story frame cottage has a gable roof and exterior end chimneys. A veranda with bracketed turned colonettes and a balustrade runs the length of the façade. The central doorway is surrounded with a transom and sidelights. Paired windows sit on either side of the door. Boxed cornices extend along the eaves of the house and veranda. They are also repeated on the side gables.
51. The Fripp-Hampton House can be found at 474 Hampton Street. This two-story home was built before 1905. The façade has five bays, in the center of which is a large portico supported with giant Ionic columns. The entrance is surrounded by a transom and sidelights and topped with a Georgian broken pediment. A central balcony was added to the second story after 1931.
52. The Jones House can be found at 475 Hampton Street. Built before 1905, the one-story gable roofed cottage has a central pavilion with gingerbread trim. The front porch extends the full length of the house and wraps around the central pavilion. Victorian turned posts and gingerbread brackets complete the porch. The central entrance, as well as the flanking doors have a transom and sidelights.
53. Hampton Street Elementary School is located at 494 Hampton Street. This building was constructed in the 1930s in the Art Moderne style. The school scenes from Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks were filmed here. It is now used as the Colleton Civic Center. Also, this is the location of the graduation scenes in the movie Radio, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr.
54. The Mims-Smith-Spell House at 487 Hampton Street was built before 1905. Originally, the one story, gable roof cottage was a duplicate of 475 Hampton Street. A veranda extends across the front of the house. It is topped with a central pavilion and gable. The veranda has been remodeled in the bungalow style. Square posts on high brick piers support the porch roof. A small gabled addition on the right has a gabled porch as well. Three doors are present on the front of the house. Each is surrounded by a transom and sidelights.
55. The Howell-Fishburne House can be found at 500 Hampton Street. Built around 1920, this two and a half story Colonial Revival house is three bays wide. The central doorway is surrounded by an elliptical tripartite fanlight and sidelights. The front portico, side portico and porte cochere are supported by paired Doric columns. Three large dormers sit in the slope of the roof.
56. The A.V. Glover House is located at 517 Hampton Street. This one-story 1874 frame cottage was home to the Colleton County historian, Miss Beulah Glover. It has a gable roof and shed roofed porch with tapered square posts. The entrance is centered in a three-bay façade. It has a transom and sidelights.
57. The Pearcy House is located at 523 Hampton Street. Built around 1920, this one and a half-story house has a jerkinhead roof and a shed-roofed dormer with three windows on the front slope. Doric columns support the porch, and an iron railing runs along the roof in front. The centered entrance has one sidelight to the right of the door. Double windows flank the door.
58. The Brown-Mitchell-Langley House is at 524 Hampton Street. Built between 1920 and 1930, this two-story frame house has a hipped roof and tripartite dormer. An L-shaped porch dominates the left side of the first level. The shed roof porch is supported by square pillars on brick piers. The railings have turned balusters. The doorway is surrounded by a thin transom and sidelights. A diamond-shaped window is placed to the left of the door.
59. The Terry-Dunwoody-Haws House is at 529 Hampton Street. This home was built prior to 1845. This two-story frame house became known as the “House of Refuge” following the tornado of 1879. Its hipped roof has large centrally located chimneys and is accentuated with a plain box cornice. The flat-roofed one-story front porch has groups of three Victorian turned posts in the outside corners. The main entrance has a transom and sidelights.
60. The Farmer House is located beside the library at 528 Hampton Street. The one-story frame cottage was built on Wichman Street around 1830 and moved to its current location in 1905. White, beaded weatherboard siding covers the exterior. Small wings flank the front porch. Paired windows are placed in the central portion. Porch posts with decorative cross-bracing are a later addition.
61. The bungalow at 601 Hampton Street was built around 1920. The one-story frame house has a gable roof. Double windows are to the right of the plain door and tripartite windows are to the left. The porch is supported with tapered square posts that extend to the left to create a porte cochere.
62. The bungalow at 607 Hampton Street was built in 1931. It is considered the best example of a bungalow type house in Walterboro. The one-story frame house has a pressed tin gable roof and a prominent gabled front porch. It has bracketed, overhanging eaves and square paneled pillars, which are grouped in threes in the corners. The porch gable is covered in wooden shingles and has a central louvered vent. The entrance is surrounded by a tripartite transom and sidelights.
63. The Bellinger-Ackerman House is located at 613 Hampton Street. Built around 1913 this two-story hip roofed frame house has a gabled, two-story pavilion on the right side, with triple windows on each level. A fanlight graces the gable. The front porch has a gabled extension and a porte cochere to the left. The porch is supported by square posts on piers. Cornices with robust brackets run the eaves of the house, porch, and eaves.
64. The Morrall-Marrin-Simmons House is located at 618 Hampton Street. The one-story brick house has a bungalow porch with tapered, square posts on brick piers. The front gabled extension has a central fireplace.
65 .617 Hampton Street was built in 1910. This one-story cottage has a gable roof and veranda across the front. An attached gazebo is on the right. It has imbricated shingle sides and an octagonal roof. The entrance is surrounded by transom and sidelights.
66. The Glover-Sprott-Marvin house is located at 621 Hampton Street. This two -story frame house was built between 1909-1913. A gable is centered on the front slope of the roof with an arched louvered opening. The symmetrical façade has double windows to either side of the door and above. The entrance is topped with a pediment and single window. The entrance is surrounded by transom and sidelights.
67. The Sylvester Guess House is at 628 Hampton Street. This two-story house was built in the early 19th Century. The façade is five bays wide with a central entrance. The entrance is protected under a portico on square posts. A transom tops the door.
68. The Heirs-Ackerman-Skardon House can be found at 625 Hampton Street. Built between 1910 and 1918, this two-story frame house has a one-story bungalow style front porch with tapered square paneled pillars on brick piers grouped in pairs. The symmetrical façade has a central entrance with sidelights and entablature. Tripartite windows flank the entrance. The hipped roof has a dormer centered on the front slope.
69. The bungalow at 629 Hampton Street was built in 1931. The thin gable roof has a low cross gable in front with overhanging bracketed eaves. The veranda is covered by the main roof. Tapered pillars on brick piers support the roof. The entrance is off centered between tripartite windows; the right being a bay window.
70. The two-story home at 701 Hampton Street was built in 1900. Four massive square pillars support the two-story portico. Both levels have central doorways, surrounded by transom and sig-delights. Tripartite windows flank the first level entrance with single windows above. A second-level porch with balustrade is supported between the two central columns.
71. The Price House is located at 707 Hampton Street. This one-story frame cottage was built in 1900. It has a high hipped roof and veranda with slim columns. The symmetrical façade is centered with double doors and a transom. Double windows flank the entrance.
72. The two-story home at 709 Hampton Street was built in 1880. An L-shaped porch extends along the front and left sides of the house. It is topped with a pyramidal tin roof. The porch has squared columns on each level and a balustrade on the second.
73. The two-story frame residence at 715 Hampton Street was built in 1920. The façade is topped with a pedimented front-end gable. Four fluted columns support the first level veranda. One story wings extend on both sides.
74. 719 Carn Street is home to this turn of the century one-story cottage known as the Ulmer House. A center gable with a boxed cornice sits above a porch that extends across the façade. The central entrance is complete with transom and sidelights. Double windows flank the doorway. Squared posts on brick piers were a later addition.
75. 703 Carn Street is home to this 1931 cottage. It has a low-pitched gable roof. A front gable with an elliptical arch protects the entryway. Paired square posts and bracketed eaves support the porch. The door is flanked by sidelights and double windows.
76. The bungalow at 701 Carn Street was built sometime around 1930. The front gable has overhanging, bracketed eaves. The front veranda extends across the façade. The entrance is off-center, between paired windows.
77. 613 Carn street is home to this 1931 cottage. The front gable has an overhang with bracketed eaves and extends to shelter a front porch with squared posts on brick piers.
78. The one-story bungaloid dwelling at 609 Carn Street was built around 1930. It has a gabled roof and two chimneys. The off-centered porch has tapered square posts on brick piers.
79. The Loper House can be found at 605 Carn Street. This one-story cottage was built around 1915. The symmetrical façade has five bays. A gable is centered over the entrance. Victorian turned posts and pierced brackets support the veranda. A balustrade surrounds the veranda. The doorway is complete with transom and sidelights.
80. The home at 429 Carn Street was built between 1912 and 1920. This one-story frame house has an L-shaped porch under the left corner of the hipped roof. The central entrance is surrounded by transom and sidelights. A bungalow style dormer is centered on the front slope of the roof.
81. This one-story frame cottage can be found at 418 Carn Street. It was built between 1912 and 1920. A wide front gable dominated the front roofline. The symmetrical façade has five bays. The central entrance has a transom and sidelights. Paired square posts support the porch roof which is topped with a Chinese Chippendale balustrade. Double windows flank the doorway, and a louvered arch is centered in the front gable.
82. The Sanders-Slotchiver-Grace House is located at 414 Carn Street. This two-story frame bungalow was built between 1916 and 1920. The roof is dominated by a dormer with tripartite windows. The first level porch is supported by tapered squared pillars on brick piers.
83. The Butler House at 229 South Memorial Street was built in 1912. This Victorian cottage is one story, with a gabled roof. A two-bay extension protrudes from the left side. A shed roof front porch is supported by turned and bracketed posts. Turned balusters complete the porch. The doorway is completed with transom and sidelights. The property also contains an old servant’s cottage in the rear.
84-85. The Wichman-Strobel House is located at 238 South Memorial Street. Its twin, the Wichman-Padgett House is just next door at 226 South Memorial Street. They are five bays wide with a parapet roofline. A flat-roofed piazza extends across the front façade. Greek key designs dominate the wide entablatures present across the roofline and piazza. Squared posts and turned balusters support and secure the piazza.
86. The McMillan House at 309 South Memorial Street, was built before 1905. The gabled extension on the right has a bay window and pediment. The pediment is decorated with a pendant with scalloped braces. A porch extends along the right side of the extension and across the front of the house. The porch has Victorian turned posts with pierced brackets and a balustrade. The front door and French windows are topped with transoms. A bracketed cornice continues around the house.
87. 403 South Memorial Street is home to the Durant-Padgett House. Built in 1904, this Victorian cottage has an asymmetrical shape. A gabled, semi-octagonal extension is seen to the left of the front entrance and a gabled extension is on the right side. A large front porch travels the length of the façade and wraps around both sides. Victorian turned posts with pierced brackets and a balustrade complete the porch. The entrance has a multilight transom and sidelights.
88. 203 Black Street is home to this one-story bungalow. Built between 1905 and 1912, this house has five bays. A veranda stretches across the front façade. The main doorway has a transom and sidelights. A right extension and dormer were added after 1931. Tapered square pillars on brick piers were also added.
89. Built around 1891, this one-story frame house sits at 221 Black Street. The symmetrical façade has five bays with a central gable on the slope of the roof. A shed-roofed veranda wraps around the front and sides of the house. Victorian turned posts, pierced brackets support the veranda, and a band of pierced decoration sits below the cornice and gables. A bracketed cornice continues around the house.
90. The Morrall-Cummings-Loper-Goodwin House can be found at 307 Black Street. This single-story frame cottage was built sometime between 1891 and 1905. The L-shaped design has a gabled extension on the right with a bay window. Another gable is centered in the slope of the roof over the doorway. The veranda extends across the front and along the left side of the house. Victorian posts with pierced brackets support the veranda. A band of pierced work can be found below the cornice. The railing has turned balusters. Bracketed cornice continues around the house and gables. Pierced woodwork details can be found in the upper angle of the gables. The doorway is flanked by multi-light sidelights.
For more information about historic Walterboro and other Lowcountry attractions visit southcarolinalowcountry.com.
Stroll the nationally recognized streets of Downtown Walterboro
The Historic District of Walterboro has a significant collection of properties located in the center of town. Most of the buildings were constructed between 1800 and 1945, representing a range of architectural styles representing the historical development of the town. Walterboro got its start as a pineland village which was settled by planters in search of a healthy summer retreat away from mosquito-borne illnesses. By 1832 the town had a summer population of 900 and a winter population of half that number. At the time the summer retreat had a courthouse, churches, a library, market house and academies for both boys and girls. The streets were laid out in 1839. Walterboro became the county seat of government in 1817 and continued to grow in political and social prestige until the Civil War. During Reconstruction, the town began to grow again as a meeting place for deposed planters. By 1880 Walterboro had thirteen stores and eight churches. By the mid-1890s Walterboro had the largest railway station between Charleston and Savannah. A great deal of downtown Walterboro was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. These homes have been lovingly restored and maintained. A walk along the oak lines streets to view these homes is a great activity to do while in the Lowcountry.
Image by Walter Henry.Image from the National Register of Historic Places.
The Little Library (801 Wichman Street) was built when the Library Society was founded, in 1820. The building’s three-bay façade is covered in weatherboard and adorned with a fan light over the doorway. The Federal style building sits in a park located in front of the Bedon-Lucas House.
Image by Ann Helms.
2. St. Jude’s Episcopal Church was founded in 1855 and rebuilt after the great cyclone of 1879. Sitting at 400 Fishburne Street, the Carpenter Gothic style church has board and batten exterior walls and simulated buttresses. Five lancet windows grace each side of the church and a steeple rises above. Just next door at 404 Fishburne Street sits the rectory for St. Jude’s Episcopal Church. This gable-roofed cottage was built around 1905. The five-bay façade has a central entrance with a multi light transom and sidelights. A one-story brick and concrete block building and outbuilding sit behind the church. They were both added in 1940.
Image by Christan Spires.Image by Christan Spires.Image from National Register.
3. The Bedon Lucas House (205 Church Street) was built in the early 1800s. This Federal style raised cottage is one of the few remaining high houses in Walterboro. These houses were built on higher ground and elevated to attempt to avoid the damp soil and mosquito-borne illnesses associated with summers in the Lowcountry. The house’s name comes from the first two occupants of the house: Mr. Bedon commissioned the building and Mr. Lucas bought it in 1840. The second owner also donated a portion of his front yard to create a park. Walterboro’s Little Library was moved here in 1843. The house was occupied by the Lucas family until the mid-1950s. It fell into disrepair and was acquired by the Colleton County Historical and Preservation Society. The house was restored and serves as their headquarters. The house is available for tours. 843-549-9633. Read our Blog on the Bedon-Lucas House.
Image from the National Register.
4. The Victorian cottage at 305 Church Street was built before 1905. The asymmetrical plan has a complicated roofline and an L-shaped extension on the left side. The slender porch columns of the porch have pierced brackets and turned balusters. Two doorways are surrounded by sidelights and are topped with transoms.
5. Built in 1931, the cottage at 406 Church Street has a gabled roof that extends to cover a large front porch with square pillars on brick piers. The façade is off-center between paired windows.
Image from the National Register.Rendering by Cal Griffin.
6. The Dr. James Klein House is located at 104 Valley Street. Built in 1844, the two-story house has a portico that is supported by four impressive Tuscan columns. The five-bay façade is centered with a double door surrounded by a transom and sidelights. A balcony complete with balustrade sits atop the entry.
7. 204 Valley Street is home to this 1920s bungalow. Built on a high brick basement, it has a gable roof which extends across the large front porch. Tapered square pillars on brick piers support the porch roof. The front entrance has side lights and is centered in the five-bay façade.
8. Sitting atop the hill at 208 Valley Street is this large one-story house. Built in 1920, the house sits on a high basement and has a large front porch that sits under the gable roof. The porch has square pillars on brick piers and bracketed, overhanging eaves.
9. The cottage at 212 Valley Street was built in 1941. The entrance is in a small front pavilion between paired windows.
Image from the National Register.
10. The Glover-McLeod House can be found at 109 Savage Street. This house was built prior to 1839. It features a high basement and flanking chimneys. Two tiers of verandas adorn the façade. The centered doorway has a transom and sidelights. The second story porch can be accessed through each of the upper-level front rooms. The house sits back off the road, surrounded by live oak trees. The property also includes an antebellum servant’s house and outbuildings.
Image from the National Register.
11. The Perry-Smoak House is found at 1011 Savage Road. This one-story antebellum cottage has a five-bay façade and sits on a high basement. The double entrance is centered under the shed roof of the front parch. Two symmetrical chimneys rise from the roof ridge.
110 Savage Street118 Savage Street124 Savage Street
12. The cottages of Savage Street can be viewed as you proceed on the route. The little cottage at 110 Savage Street has a gabled porch in the center of its façade with a louvered fan in the gable. The porch is supported with two tapered square pillars. The single-story frame house at 118 Savage Street has a gable roof and a small porch with paired columns on brick bases. The one-story frame house at 124 Savage Street has a hip roof porch and four fluted square posts. The entrance is centered and has an elliptical fanlight and sidelights.
13. The Palmer-Edwards House is at 1303 Wichman Street. This antebellum home is a one-story cottage with a gabled tin roof. The shed roof veranda is supported by six square posts and turned balusters. The main entrance is centered in a three-bay façade. Double doors are surrounded by a multi light transom and sidelights. The property also includes and outbuilding.
14. The Fraser House is located at 1217 Wichman Street. Built in 1856, the second story was a later addition. The porch has paired columns on piers, turned balusters and a wide entablature. The impressive entry has double doors, a transom, and sidelights.
15. The side of the lovely Padgett House adorns the corner of Lemacks and 1126 Wichman Street. It was built in 1900 for James Padgett, a member of the South Carolina Senate. The asymmetrical design is two and a half stories tall. Porches can be found on the front and side. A semi-circular porch bay dominates the left side of the façade and is balanced by two tiers of porches with paired columns on the right.
16. 401 N. Lemacks Street is a one-story wooden house. A bungalow style veranda extends across the front.
17. 227 Chaplin Street was built in the early 1900s. The one-story frame house is rectangular with a symmetrical façade. The central entrance is framed with a transom and sidelights. The porch was added in the 1930s. It was given a new jerkinhead roof in the 1960s.
18. The Church of the Atonement sits next door at 207 Chaplin Street. This small Victorian church was built in 1886. The frame construction has a high-pitched gable roof and square tower. The church and lower portion of the tower are covered in narrow weatherboards. The upper portion of the tower is faced with wooden shingles. The steeple rises above an open framework of braced timbers. The arched entrance is in the base of the tower, shaded by a small gabled hood.
19. 203 Chaplin Street has a tiny one-story frame dwelling with a gabled tin roof. The bungalow-style front porch was believed to have been added in the 1920s.
20. 111 Chaplin Street and the cottages of Tracy Street were built in the 1930s. These bungalows have a gabled rooves and front porches with tapered squared pillars on brick piers.
21. The tiny Gresham House is located at 200 Fishburne Street. Built in 1931, this little cottage has a low-pitched gable roof with the gable facing the street which has overhanging eaves and brackets. The entrance is under a small porch that is supported with square posts.
22. The Spell House can be found at 214 Fishburne Street. Built between 1912 and 1920, this one and a half-story frame house has a high gable with a central quadripartite window. The large porch is supported with paneled pillars on brick piers. Oversized sidelights and a transom surround the door.
23. The Warren House sits next door at 114 Bellinger Street. The one and a half story frame house was built in 1920. It is rectangular with a gable roof and a half story extended over the front porch. The front gable has three closely spaced windows and bracketed overhanging eaves. Four tapered, square posts support the second story above the porch. Double windows flank the front entrance that is surrounded by transom and sidelights.
24. The Fraser House is located at 112 Bellinger Street. This one-story bungalow was built in 1931. The asymmetrical plan has a front extension with paired windows on the right side. A porch complete with tripartite window and door with sidelights sits on the left side. A shed roof dormer has four windows.
25. . The McTeer House can be found at 108 Bellinger Street. This one-story bungalow was built in 1931. It has a gable roof which extends to shelter the porch. Substantial brick piers support the corners. The gable has bracketed overhanging eaves. The entrance has sidelights, and the front windows are paired.
26. Built before 1905, the First Baptist was built in the Queen Anne style. It became St. John’s Independent Methodist Church and is now the Fishers of Men T.M.D. Church. The frame building was built in a cruciform shape with oversized gable ends. The gables are covered in wooden shingles and are adorned with round louvered vents. The front entrance is in a small gabled porch with engaged square pillars. The windows are decorated with colored glass. 129 Neyle Street.
27. This large Victorian cottage at 123 Neyle Street was built around 1905. It boasts a high-pitched gable roof with a matching gable over the front porch. Two large, corbelled chimneys rise from the interior. The house has small flanking wings. The wraparound veranda is topped with a shed roof and supported by turned colonettes and balusters. The centrally placed entrance has a multi-light transom and sidelights.
28. The Miller-Fraser House is located at 734 Wichman Street. Built around 1885, the L-shaped house has a gabled front wing with paired windows and a denticulated cornice. A portion of the porch was enclosed.
29. St. Peter’s AME Church is located on Fishburne Street. This Gothic Revival church was built around 1870. It is rectangular, with a gable-roofed body and a square tower rising above the gabled front extension. The tower has four sections; the lower section contains the main entrance with double doors and a transom. The third level of the tower contains a multi-light window. The fourth level has traceried, pointed arched openings that are balustraded on the bottom. The steeple rises above the fourth level. The exterior is covered in weatherboard. The windows are multi-light with traceried, pointed, arch transoms. 302 Fishburne Street.
30. The cottage at 915 Wichman Street was built in 1920. The one and a half story frame house has an asymmetrical gable roof. The porch is covered by an oversized shed roof and dormer. The recessed veranda has tapered square pillars.
31. The house at 919 Wichman Street was also built in 1920. The two-story house has a flat roofed portico with four Ionic columns on brick bases. A veranda with paired colonettes on brick bases graces the first level and is topped with a balustrade on the second, which is recessed behind the portico. A porte cochere sits to the left which has been topped with a later addition.
32. The Fraser House sits at 918 Wichman Street. Built in 1858, the house is a one and a half-story frame cottage on a high basement. The tin roof is punctuated with twin dormers on the front slope. Six square posts support the shed roof porch. The entrance is centrally located in the five-bay façade. The door is surrounded by a transom and sidelights.
33. 1000 Wichman is home to this 19th Century bungalow. The square house has a hipped roof with two interior chimneys. The hipped roof porch has square posts on brick piers. The centered entrance has a multilight transom and partially paneled sidelights. The double doors have arched panels.
34. An L-shaped Victorian sits at 1004 Wichman Street. The house has a gabled front wing and shed roofed veranda. A 20th Century addition extends from the right side.
35. This 1906 beauty can be found at 1003 Wichman Street. The two-story frame house has a gable roof and two tiers of veranda. Squared posts support the porches, and a balustrade secures the second story porch. The centered entrance has multipaned sidelights.
36. The Bellinger House is located at 1009 Wichman Street. It was built in the early 1800s. The two-story frame house has a gabled tin roof. The entrance is centered between three bays. The door is framed with a transom and sidelights. The first-floor windows are tripartite in design. The original design included two tiers of veranda. The shed roofed porch and squared pillars are from a 1931 renovation
37. Built in 1926, the Hicks-Graham-Smith House sits at 1111 Wichman Street. This bungalow style house has a gable roof. The porch has been converted into a sunroom.
38. 1116 Wichman Street is home to a one-story frame cottage covered in shiplap siding. A porte cochere sits on the left and is balanced by a porch on the right. Tapered square posts on brick piers support the porch roof.
39. The Bellinger-Lewis-Moorer-Black House is located at 1123 Wichman Street. This t-shaped frame house was built in the early 20th Century. It has a complex roofline and a one and a half story central portion and two-story wings. The front gable has a tripartite window. The porch is supported by paneled square posts on piers.
40. Part 1 of the tour ends at the front of the lovely Padgett House. We viewed the side of this property in number 15.
Edisto Island is one of the state’s earlier-settled islands. Lord Ashley Cooper acquired plantation lands there in 1674. The state’s Colonial Governor Joseph Morton built a home on the island in the 1680s. The island flourished as a producer of sea island cotton. As a result of the booming wealth on the island, many churches were built in the late 18th and first half of the 19th centuries. Three historic churches have been beautifully preserved on the island. Come tour the grounds and meander through the graveyards.
The Edisto Island Baptist Church was built in 1818 due to the efforts of Hepzibah Jenkins Townsend, the wife of a local plantation owner (Bleak Hall Plantation – modern day Botany Bay Plantation). She raised the funds to build the sanctuary by baking and selling pastries and other baked goods in Charleston. The church sanctuary includes a second story gallery where many slaves worshipped. Originally the church was square in plan and built on a tabby foundation. By simply viewing the sides of the church, the line of a later addition is visible. The church is sheathed in beaded weatherboard.
Federal troops overtook the island during the Civil War causing plantation owners to flee. The former slaves remained and were deeded the church in 1865. It then became known as the New First Missionary Baptist Church. During Reconstruction, the black congregation doubled the size of the sanctuary. An addition was built on a brick pier foundation. The front façade was carefully removed and reattached after the expansion was completed. A two-story front portico and pediment were added in 1880. The portico is supported by four square posts. This addition is proof of the wealth that was gained by the freedmen during the Reconstruction period. The façade has two transom-topped entrances and a central window. Smaller gallery level windows grace a second story.
A small rectangular belfry with a tent roof of standing seam metal and louvered opening on three sides rises above the portico. It is topped with a crowning finial. The only 20th century changes to the building were the additions of restrooms in the rear. A newer sanctuary was built in 1982 that sits just next door. New First Missionary Baptist Church now worships in the more modern sanctuary. The Episcopal Church on Edisto now holds services in the historic structure. The grave of founder Hepzibah Jenkins Townsend lies in the yard of the historic church.
Episcopal Church on Edisto/ New First Missionary Baptist Church 1644 SC Hwy 174 Edisto Island, (843)631-5040
The Presbyterian Church on Edisto was first established in 1685. The building that is in use today was built in 1831. This historic structure has changed very little over the years. The two-story rectangular church was renovated in 1836 to replace the portico and add a coved ceiling. Massive Greek Doric columns support the triangular pediment of the recessed portico. The frieze above the columns contains a pattern of triglyphs and metopes. The church front also features two Palladian entrances with fanlights. Each church side has a matching door.
The roofline is topped with a cupola. Shuttered windows on the church sides are also topped with semi-circular fan lights. The second-story gallery is lit by a row of smaller windows. Inside a gallery wraps around the back and sides of the sanctuary. During Union occupation the church was used by the former slaves of the congregation. They would continue to use the church until 1867. This church serves as one of the oldest Presbyterian congregations in the state, having been formed in 1695.
The church grounds contain a prayer chapel and graves that date as far back as 1787. In fact, the graveyard is thought to be quite haunted. The tomb of Julia Legare can be found in there. Julia was just 22 when she died in 1852. Legend has it she contacted diphtheria and slipped into a coma. She was pronounced dead and buried in the family mausoleum. Local folk lore states years later, when the tomb was opened for another burial, Julia’s body was found to have been buried alive. After this discovery, the door to the tomb was often found mysteriously opened. Today, no door secures the mausoleum.
Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island 2164 SC Hwy 174 Edisto Island, (843)869-2326
Trinity Episcopal Church was first built on Edisto Island in 1840. That structure was occupied by Union forces during the Civil War and left unharmed. It was destroyed during an accidental fire in 1876. The current structure was built in 1880. It stands as the only example of Victorian church architecture on the island. The one-story rectangular church is sheathed in weatherboard. Slender square posts support the triangular pediment. The vertical planks of the pediment siding are pointed to form a zig zag pattern. The inset steeple is covered in white shingles and has a decorative louver on each side.
The double door entrance and clear glass flanking windows are topped with semicircular fanlights. A triangular louver is positioned above the door in the pediment. The louvers, roof and shutters are painted a dark green which contrasts with the pristine white of the wood. The interior of the sanctuary is covered in patterned strips of beadboard.
Trinity Episcopal Church 1589 SC Hwy 174 Edisto Island, (843)869-3568
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