Limited mobility is not a problem in the SC Lowcountry.
Sgt. Jasper Park photo by SC Lowcountry Tourism Commission.
The South Carolina Lowcountry is the perfect destination for people with limited mobility. The consistency of our flat ground makes reaching many attractions easily attainable. Come tour the natural beauty of our unspoiled landscape. Bask in the sunshine at one of our beaches, view the carefully preserved architecture and experience a fishing expedition. There’s something here for everyone!
For beautiful sunsets that are unmatched in beauty, head over to Port Royal’s Sands Boardwalk. Make sure to stop by the Cypress Wetlands Rookery on the way. Roll through the paved trail loop and look for egrets, herons, eagles and migratory birds.
Image by Friends of Crystal Lake.
Interested in fishing while in Beaufort? Head over to the Crystal Lake Park. The 25-acre park has a boardwalk that surrounds the lake and has docks that are perfect for catch and release fishing.
Hwy 21 Drive-in image by Dan Reger.
Looking for nighttime fun? Beaufort is one of the few cities where you can step back in time and go to a drive-in movie. The Highway 21 Drive-in has been updated with a digital format and concession stand snacks can be ordered online. They have two screens which show double features Thursday – Sunday nights. Grab your blankets and pillows and have fun the old-fashioned way!
This image, taken from the top of the lighthouse, shows wheelchair friendly sidewalks that can be used to tour the lighthouse grounds. Photo by Bobby Weiner.
Like to go camping on the beach? The Hunting IslandState Park Campground has an all-terrain wheelchair and Handicapped-equipped restrooms and mobi-mats that allow for smooth access to the beach. There’s also another wheelchair located near the lighthouse. Call 843-838-2011 for more information. Visit the nature center and the marsh boardwalk. Both are accessible by wheelchair. Tour the grounds of the lighthouse and see the footprint of the former facilities.
Spanish Moss Trail image by Carmen Pinckney.
Beaufort’s Spanish Moss Trailis a 12-ft wide trail that follows the path to Parris Island that was used by the railroad to bring recruits to the marine training facility. No longer in use, the rails were removed, and a trail was constructed to lead visitors and locals along a path that winds through wooded areas and across the waterways of Beaufort County. Fishing can be done from several bridges along the way.
Bluffton
The Garvin-Garvey House and adjacent Oyster Factory Park have sidewalks for easy wheelchair access. Photo by Carmen Pinckney.
Old Town Bluffton is located along the shores of the May River. Stroll along the paths of the Oyster Factory Park or Wright Family Park. Oyster shell-paved sidewalks lead right to the door of theGarvin-Garvey House for a tour of Bluffton’s restored freedmen cottage. If Spending a Day in Old Town Bluffton be sure to visit the Church of the Cross, and stroll through the grounds of the Heyward House Museum.
The Bluffton Shell Art Trail leads throughout Old Town Bluffton. Image by Carmen Pinckney.
The Bluffton Shell Art Trail is another fun outdoor activity that is accessible. Download the map and set out to discover all 21 shells that are placed throughout the historic district.
Hilton Head
Image from Coastal Discovery Museum website.
Hilton Head is home to the Coastal Discovery Museum. This facility also has nature trails and a butterfly pavilion. The museum also conducts tours on site and around the island.
If getting out on the water is on the agenda, spend an afternoonSailing the Coastal Waters. Tours range from dolphin searching to dinner cruises.
Hilton Head Beaches are handicapped accessible. Image from HiltonHead.com.
The town of Hilton Head offers matting for regular wheelchairs near beach accesses at Alder Lane, Coligny Beach Park, Driessen Beach Park, Fish Haul Beach Park, Folly Field Beach Park, and Islanders Beach Park. The town does not offer modified wheelchairs. Call 843-341-4600 for more information.
Daufuskie Island is best seen by golf cart. Image from SC Living Magazine.
Daufuskie Island is an adventure that is not to be missed. The island is situated between Savannah and Hilton Head. It is only accessible by boat. Ferry services are available. Rent a golf cart and explore the Robert Kennedy Trail and learn the History of this Gullah Paradise where Pat Conroy used to teach in a two-room schoolhouse. Explore the island to your heart’s content with so much to see. Experience the secluded beaches, Daufuskie Island Rum Company, Bloody Point Lighthouse, Historic Gullah Homes, Mary Field School, The Iron Fish Studio, historic churches, Silver Dew Winery, and so much more.
Hampton
Lake Warren fishing pier is the perfect place to park a wheelchair and throw out a fishing line. Image by SC Lowcountry Tourism Commission.
Hampton County is home to the Lake Warren State Park. Enjoy fishing in the lake for largemouth bass, brim, redbreast, and other freshwater fish. There are docks to fish from shore or you can rent a boat and troll the 200-acre lake.
Hardeeville
Look for alligators while driving through the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. Image by David Moran.
Hardeeville is home to the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. This vast natural wonder has a driving tour through former rice fields that are teaming with an abundance of waterfowl. Look for alligators and migratory birds as you make the slow drive through the refuge.
Sgt. Jasper Park image by Carmen Pinckney.
Sgt. Jasper Park is another great place to view nature in Hardeeville. Several of the trails are designed for people with mobility impairment. You can also fish at the park.
Ridgeland
Blue Heron Park image from Facebook.
Ridgeland’s Blue Heron Nature Trail winds around a pond and its surrounding wetlands. It’s conveniently located just off the interstate. It’s a great place to get out of the car and take in fresh air and relaxation.
Frampton Plantation House, c. 1868 – Lowcountry & Resort Islands Visitors Center and Museum has a ramp for easy access into the house. Photo by SC Lowcountry Tourism Commission.
Another Jasper County gem that’s located on I-95 is the Frampton Plantation House Visitors Center and Museum. It has sidewalks, a picnic area and ramp for guests with disabilities. Come inside and see the 153 year-old house that was saved from demolition by the Lowcountry Tourism Commission.
Walterboro
Photo from Walterboro Wildlife Center Facebook.
The newly opened Walterboro Wildlife Center features native wildlife of the state’s largest city park, the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary. Come to the center to view the interpretive exhibit hall showcasing plant and animal life. ClickHERE to see the newest addition to the collection. After a visit to the center, drive over to tour the sanctuary and experience nature firsthand.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area photo by Carmen Pinckney.
Bear Island Wildlife Management AreaandDonnelley Wildlife Management Area are other great places for bird watching. Both are easily driven, and nature can be seen up close and personal from the seats of your car. Look for Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, and other native species.
Edisto Island
A drive down this avenue of oaks takes you to Botany Bay. Image by Carmen Pinckney.
Edisto Island is steeped in history and natural beauty. Botany Bay Wildlife Management Area is a beautiful spot to tour from your car. The entrance to the former plantation property is lined with an iconic alley of live oaks dripping in Spanish moss. Upon check-in, guests receive a driving tour map that includes information on the history of the property.
Henry Hutchinson House image by Grayce Gonzalez.
The Henry Hutchinson House is another Edisto Island treasure. The house was built by a freedman during Reconstruction. It is the oldest house of its kind on the island. It has recently been restored and the exterior is on display to celebrate this important time in American history.
Photo from the Town of Edisto Beach Facebook.
Edisto Beach has rolled out the carpet for beach goers with disabilities – literally! New mats have been installed for visitors with mobility impairment. Beach wheelchairs are also available at the fire station. Simply call 843-869-2505, ext. 217 to make a reservation.
The South Carolina Lowcountry is a great place to film a movie. The landscape is filled with oak lined alleys, lazy waterways, and charming small towns. Our sub-tropical sea islands are also another well-used place to set a jungle scene. Let’s not forget the beautiful beaches and classically southern architecture. Our chameleon-like environment and mild weather can transport production crews from the South to the Midwest, tropical islands, and even Europe. Let’s take a chronological look at the movies that have been filmed in Beaufort, Jasper, Colleton and Hampton counties.
The Great Santini is a Pat Conroy classic that was filmed in Beaufort. The Meechum family home scenes were shot in the house is known locally as Tidalholm. Many of the military scenes were shot at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station. All of the other scenes were filmed in and around Beaufort. Robert Duvall, Blythe Danner and Michael O’Keefe star in this 1979 coming of age drama classic.
Beaufort’s Tidalholm Mansion was also prominently featured in the film The Big Chill. It is a private home located in downtown Beaufort. The 1983 film includes the talents of Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, Tom Berenger and Jo Beth Williams. Kevin Costner was also cast for the film, but unfortunately the only scenes that made the final cut involved his funeral. Filming sites also included Bay Street and streets along the Point. Tidalholm also serves as a main backdrop in The Great Santini, filmed just a few years earlier in 1979.
Full Metal Jacket was filmed on Parris Island in 1987. The island is home to the training facility of the US Marine Corps. Footage of an actual marine graduation was used in the film. The movie stars Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin and Vincent D’Onofrio.
Pat Conroy’s Prince of Tides was filmed on Fripp Island. Just an island hop-skip-and-a-jump from Beaufort, the beautiful, unspoiled beach made the perfect backdrop for the film. Conroy wrote the book in 1986, while living in Beaufort. The movie was filmed on Fripp in 1991, then in 1992, Conroy moved onto the island. Nick Nolte drives across the Beaufort River in the opening scene of the movie. The private home at 601 Bay Street was used as well. Nick Nolte, Barbara Streisand and Blythe Danner star in this Conroy classic.
Forrest Gump may have been set in Greenbow, Alabama, but it was mainly filmed in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Fripp Island, Beaufort, Hunting Island, Varnville, Walterboro, and Yemassee were all sights used in this iconic 1994 movie. Stars Tom Hanks, Robin Right, Sally Field and Gary Sinise travelled between Beaufort, Fripp Island, Varnville, Yemassee and Walterboro to create this American classic film that has left us with enough quotes to last a lifetime.
Disney’s Jungle Book was filmed in the South Carolina Lowcountry. The lush India jungle scenes were shot on Fripp Island, nearly 8,000 miles away from the story’s fictional setting. Locations for the war scenes were destroyed then later developed into a golf course. An abundance of exotic animals were brought onto the island foe filming, including monkeys, elephants and tigers. The 1994 movie carried a star-studded cast including Jason Scott Lee, Cary Elwes, Lena Heady, Sam Neill and John Cleese.
The War was filmed in Beaufort in 1994. The movie Stars Kevin Costner, Mare Wittingham and Elijah Wood. The movie follows the family of a Vietnam soldier as he tries to acclimate into his former life after the war. While his children build a treehouse in their small hometown of Juliette, Mississippi, they were actually filming in a Beaufort, SC live oak tree. Fun fact – this is Kevin Costner’s second time to film in the Lowcountry. He was in the cast of the Big Chill. Unfortunately all his scenes, with the exception of his funeral, were cut from the movie. Little did they know that he would become the Hollywood powerhouse that he is today.
King Farm scenes from Something to Talk About were filmed at Davant Plantation, just north of Ridgeland. Downtown Beaufort was also used for filming the college scenes. The restaurant at 822 Bay Street was used for a scene and many locals were cast as diners. The Beaufort County Library on Scott Street was used extensively during the production. Mobile dressing rooms were parked in the lot and the meeting room was used as well. The intersection of Craven and Scott Streets was a popular spot to try to catch a glimpse of Julia Roberts, Dennis Quaid, Robert Duval, Gena Rowlands, Kyra Sedgewick and the rest of the cast. The film was released in 1995.
Even Jim Carrey and Courtney Cox found their way to the Lowcountry when Ace Ventura was filmed in 1995. Edisto Island’s Botany Bay and Yemassee’s Cherokee Plantation were locations used for the comedy film. Botany Bay was the perfect backdrop to film the tropical jungle and African village scenes. The Georgian mansion of Cherokee Plantation and its manicured gardens served as the setting for the British consulate in Bonai. Fun fact – the president of General Motors, Robert Beverly Evans, once owned Cherokee Plantation and named the Jeep Cherokee after his Lowcountry estate.
Hollywood came to the Lowcountry was once again when the all-star cast, featuring Sharon Stone, Peter Gallagher, Randy Quaid and Rob Morrow visited Beaufort and Ridgeland to film Last Dance. The 1996 film captured images of the Castle (411 Craven Street), Hunting Island and the newly constructed state prison in Ridgeland.
Parts of the movie White Squall were filmed in Beaufort. The 1996 film stars Jeff Bridges and Caroline Goodall. The production crew transformed 510 Carteret Street, Beaufort, into the movie’s bus terminal. The churchyard of the Parish Church of St. Helena, 501 Church Street, was also used in the movie. The church, built in 1724, is a Beaufort landmark. Other Beaufort film sites included: Murr’s Graphic and Printing, 1012 Boundary Street, the Chocolate Tree, 507 Carteret Street, and areas of Washington Street.
Demi Moore and Viggo Mortensen made their way to the jungles of the Lowcountry in 1997 to film GI Jane. The movie dealt with the extreme physical and mental challenges of training for the elite Navy Seals. Survival camp scenes for this movie were filmed on Harbor and Hunting Islands.
Edisto Island’s Botany Bay was the setting for the beach slave camp in the movie The Patriot. The movie was shot in entirely in South Carolina in 101 days from September of 1999 to January of 2000. Benjamin Martin’s (Mel Gibson) character is loosely based on the legend of South Carolina’s famed “Swamp Fox,” Francis Marion. The movie also stars Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs and Joely Richardson.
Forces of Nature made its way along the east coast and filmed in the Lowcountry in 1999. Ben Affleck, Sandra Bullock, Maura Tierney and Blythe Danner shot scenes at the Beaufort home at 411 Craven Street. The mansion, commonly known as the Castle served as the Cahill’s house. The stars were guests at the Rhett House Inn during their stay in Beaufort. It’s fun to note that this is the third time that Blythe Tanner was cast as the mother in a movie filmed in Beaufort (Great Santini, Prince of Tides, Forces of Nature).
Rules of Engagement is another movie that was filmed on the South Carolina Lowcountry. Vietnam War scenes from this 2000 film were shot on Hunting Island. The island’s lush, semi-tropical landscape is reminiscent of the Vietnam jungle. The military film stars Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson.
Edisto Island’s Brookland Plantation served as the home of Matt Damon’s character in the 2000 movie Baggar Vance. Actors Will Smith and Charlize Theron join the cast with Damon. The movie was also directed by Robert Redford. Golfing scenes were filmed at the Pete Dye course in Bluffton’s Colleton River Plantation.
Inspired by a heart-warming true story, Radio was filmed in and around Walterboro. Many of the 2003 movie scenes were shot at Hampton Street Elementary, which was also a location used in Forrest Gump. Filming also took place at Colleton County High School. Many scenes were shot along Washington Street. The coach’s house is located on just outside Walterboro on Mt. Carmen Road. Radio stars Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ed Harris and Debra Winger.
Cassina Point Plantation on Edisto Island was a scene from the movie Dear John. This was the site of Savannah’s (Amanda Seyfried) family home. Seyfried and Channing Tatum were filmed there for several scenes in the 2010 motion picture. Both stars shared their thoughts in a www.sciway.net post: “I love South Carolina,” says Channing Tatum. “I’m from the South, so I have an addiction with it. The food, the people, the lifestyle. It’s just so charming.” “The South is a whole different thing altogether. It’s romantic. It’s just so beautiful. It brings something to a film you can’t get anywhere else in the world.” – Amanda Seyfried
More recently Beaufort has been used in the production of the 2019 Netflix hit Outer Banks. While the story line takes place in North Carolina, filming is done in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. While a majority of the scenes were filmed in the Charleston area, Hunting Island plays a prominent roll in the series. The island was the spot for the nighttime beach scenes. And the boneyard beach area was the location for several party scenes. The Hunting Island Lighthouse also makes an appearance while the characters search for clues to a hidden treasure.
Stars Fell on Alabama was filmed in Beaufort and Bluffton in 2019. The romantic comedy was filmed throughout Beaufort, including Bay Street, The Beaufort Inn and Blackstone’s Cafe. Other locations included Port Royal, Beaufort Academy on Lady’s Island, and the Old Town Dispensary in Bluffton. The film is scheduled to premiere in film festivals in the fall of 2020.
Part 2 – The Haunting of Bluffton, Hilton Head and Daufuskie
Photo by Patricia Given.
Lowcountry Ghost Stories Part 1 discussed the spooky stories of Beaufort and the Sea Islands. This installment will focus on southern Beaufort County, particularly Bluffton, Hilton Head and Daufuskie.
Squire Pope Carriage House pen and ink drawing by Doug Corkern.
Bluffton also has its share of spooky stories. Much of the town was burned in 1863 during the Civil War, including the Bluffton summer home of Squire William Pope of Coggins Point Plantation. This wealthy Hilton Head family spent the summers on the bluff of the May River across from Cross Episcopal Church.
The Squire Pope Carriage House is currently being restored by the City of Bluffton. Photo by Bluffton Today.
Following the war, Mrs. Pope and her daughter returned to Bluffton in a state of destitution. They came back to find their home burned, but the carriage house and a smaller outbuilding had survived. They spent the remainder of their days in this structure. It has been said that on a full moon, candles can be seen burning inside the abandoned summer home. The Town of Bluffton is currently working to restore this house.
Sarah Hooks House watercolor by Doug Corkern.
Old Town Bluffton’s Sarah Riley Hooks House is another dwelling that has a haunted past. Sarah was a retired public health nurse and daughter of a prominent Blufftonian. Her son Tony became a famous musician as the lead guitarist for Sly and the Family Stone and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
The Sarah Hooks House as it stands today. Photo by jiaxingexpress.
Tony answered knocks on the door one early morning in 1988, He was shot in the chest with a shotgun. Rumor has it, he was killed in a lover’s quarrel. The shooter was caught and arrested in Savannah, but the motive and gun were never discovered. The accused was a Hilton Head real estate agent and trumpet player. He was charged but found innocent by reason of insanity at his trail. The community was in a state of shock over this senseless murder. More than 600 mourners packed the auditorium of the school named after his grandfather for the 32-year-old musician’s funeral. The house has been neglected and is inhabitable, looking very much like a haunted house. In fact, locals report when the tide is high, and the moon is full – you can hear the sounds of Tony playing his guitar from the house ruins. Feeling brave, head over to Old Town Bluffton’s Bridge Street on the next full moon and listen carefully for the faint sounds of Tony’s guitar riffs.
Baynard Tomb image by Savannah Now.
The ghost of William Baynard can be seen and heard at Zion Cemetery on Hilton Head Island. Baynard was a successful planter from Edisto Island. During a lively card game, he won the 1,000-acre Braddock’s Point Plantation in a hand of poker in 1845. He took up residence on the island and lived a prosperous life. He and his wife Catherine enjoyed plantation life. It was not common for plantation owners and their families to live on Hilton Head due to diseases like malaria and yellow fever. Baynard and his wife were an exception to that rule. They enjoyed living and entertaining at their Hilton Head plantation. Unfortunately, Catherine began having health issues and died. She was buried in the Zion Cemetery. Baynard was heartbroken and inconsolable after her death. In his guilt-ridden state, he visited her grave every day until his death 15 years later. Why did he commission such an elaborate mausoleum? Many believed he intended to bury his most cherished possessions in the tomb to carry into the afterlife. Union soldiers heard of the possible treasure during the Civil War. They broke into the tomb and emptied it of all contents. The ghost of Mr. Baynard can be seen on dark and stormy nights as he comes to visit his wife’s grave. Perhaps he’s looking for his stolen treasure as well. The graveyard where Baynard roams is located on William Hilton Parkway near the intersection of Mathews Drive. The Baynard Mausoleum is believed to be the oldest surviving intact structure on Hilton Head.
Stoney-Baynard Ruins photo by Carmen Pinckney.
The ghost of William Baynard can also be seen roaming the grounds of his former plantation. Perhaps he is looking for the spirit of his beloved wife here also. The ruins of their once-lavish home are located within the confines of Sea Pines Plantation. For a small fee, visitors can pass through the gates of Sea Pines and visit the site. The spookiest time to visit the ruins is at dusk. A small hike through a haunting forest will lead you to the skeletal remains of the once prosperous plantation house. This plantation and the surrounding trails have been labeled as the most haunted spots on the island. Visit if you dare! Baynard Plantation is located at 88 Plantation Drive.
Haig Point Lighthouse sits beautifully on the bluff of Daufuskie Island. Photo by Savannah Now.
Visitors to Daufuskie Island are greeted with the beautiful sight of the Haig Point Lighthouse. This two-story simple Victorian was designed to house the lighthouse and its keeper. It is here that we meet the ghost of Maggie…or do we?
Haig Point Lighthouse image by House Beautiful Magazine.
The story is told that Patrick Comer and his wife Bridget were the first light keepers, coming to the island in 1873. Eventually they were blessed with a daughter they called Maggie. They lived a happy idyllic life on the island, until 1886. Tragedy struck when a Charleston area 7.0 magnitude earthquake nearly destroyed the light station. The quake and subsequent aftershocks caused severe flooding on the island which lead to an explosion in the mosquito population. Maggie soon became ill and died of malaria. Patrick morns the loss so severely that he takes to his bed and dies five years later. Rumor has it that on moonlit nights visitors to the lighthouse catch the faint scent of honeysuckle, and one of the porch rocking chairs will mysteriously begin to rock on its own.
Haig Point Lighthouse porch image by Carmen Pinckney.
According to Carolyn Males of locallifesc.com, https://www.locallifesc.com/the-ghost-that-wasnt/ Maggie actually had an older sister Mary Ellen that wed in 1879 and moved to Savannah, where she had five children with her husband, Captain Walter John Thompson. Mary Ellen would later die in 1895, and by 1899, Maggie married the same Captain Thompson and raise her sister’s three surviving children. She died in 1930 at the age of 65 and is buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery. Perhaps the ghost of Maggie returns to rock on her favorite porch in the form of her younger self, to remember her happiest memories. Who knows???
Did you notice the two ghostly figures that found their way into the pictures for this post? If not, look again! They have been added for your Halloween pleasure! Stay tuned for the third installment of the Lowcountry Ghost stories. Up next, Colleton County!
With summer quickly approaching, SC Lowcountry Farmers Markets are in full swing! Enjoy some fresh air, browse, and take home local produce.
While social distancing and wearing masks are still important habits to keep, the markets are open and have plenty to sell! Each market takes place out of doors in the fresh air. Check your calendar, find your market basket and head to SC Lowcountry farmers market that’s closest to you!
The Port Royal Farmers Market is open from 9 a.m. – noon each Saturday. The market officials ask that all visitors wear a mask and observe social distancing rules. Vendors will also accept preorders. Some of the items available include red potatoes, white potatoes, yellow squash, cucumbers, fresh bread, meats from Calibogue Catering, bakery goodies, shrimp, breakfast sandwiches, poultry products, flowers, and fresh pasta.
For more information or to sign up for weekly information visit https://portroyalfarmersmarket.com/. You can also sign up for their weekly newsletter alerting you to what’s going to be at the market for the week.
The Farmers Market of Bluffton is another Lowcountry favorite. Every Thursday, from 12-3 p.m. Calhoun Street is closed to traffic and transformed into a street market. Shop for fresh pasta, in season fruits and veggies, homemade bread and bakery items, fresh meats, jams and jellies, and prepared goodies. Don’t miss Hank’s Lowcountry she crab soup and the Cottage Bakery. If it’s a scorcher, treat yourself to a Palmetto Ice Pop!
The Bluffton Farmers Market information can be found on https://www.farmersmarketbluffton.org/. You can also sign up for their weekly newsletter to find out about what’s in season and for sale on Calhoun Street.
The Hilton Head Farmers Market happens every Tuesday, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on the grounds of historic Honey Horn Plantation. Take home fresh local produce, pasture raised chicken, free range rabbit, pork, seafood, salsa, fresh sausage, cookies, breads, she crab soup, and more. Free parking in the Coastal Discovery Museum parking lot, 70 Honey Horn Drive.
Local farmers, producers, vendors, and food trucks will be at the market to share the bounty of their crops. Three Sisters Organic Farm will be there to sell fresh zucchini, cucumbers, and tomatoes. The Grind Roasters will be there as well, to grind your favorite flavors of coffee. For more information visit https://www.coastaldiscovery.org/.
Ridgeland’s Jasper County Farmers Market kicks off the weekend every Friday from 1 – 6 p.m. The Market will host a variety of vendors including produce, baked goods, prepared meals, arts, crafts and estate sales.
You can find the Jasper County Farmers Market on Main Street, across from Fiddler’s Seafood Restaurant. For more information visit http://jaspersc.org/farmers-market/.
If you’re in Walterboro, the Colleton Museum and Farmers Market offers fresh vegetables and fruits, local honey, local crafts, plants, baked goods, prepared food, music, and much more. The market is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
The mission of the market is to “encourage, support, and promote the entrepreneurial efforts of local, independent, small-scale farmers, food artisans and crafters seeking to sell products directly to the consumer while operating independently from large corporate or factory farms and businesses.” You can find the market at 506 East Washington St., in historic downtown Walterboro. For more information visit http://www.colletonmuseum.org/farmers-market.
Downtown Beaufort’s Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park looks onto the Beaufort River. Photo by Peach Morrison.
Thinking about planning a trip to the South Carolina Lowcountry? Why not plan a relaxing vacation in an area that is known for its scenic beauty and historic architecture. The SC Lowcountry is the perfect spot to enjoy a vacation that includes quaint southern towns, beautiful beaches and wide open spaces.
Hunting Island image by Allyson Jones.
Hunting Island State Park is located 17 miles from downtown Beaufort. The park has 5,000 acres of beaches, hiking trails and plenty of fishing opportunities. Kayak, paddle board or hunt for crabs at the lagoon. Fish from the pier. Camp on the beachfront! Walk the many miles of the semi-tropical maritime forest that was used in the movies Forrest Gump and Jungle Book. Call 843-838-2011 for more information.
Spend the weekend at the historic Beaufort waterfront. Head downtown Beaufort and enjoy lunch at one of the many waterfront restaurants. Relax, soak up sunrays from the swings and watch the river roll gently by. When the sun goes down, head out to the Hwy 21 Drive-in to catch a double feature.
Downtown Beaufort photo by BeaufortPics.com.
Beaufort has many outdoor dining options in the waterfront area. These restaurants are a great destination for your family. Sit on the deck, watch the clouds roll by overhead and enjoy some amazing food.
Beaufort fell very early during the Civil War. Homeowners abandoned the city and Union troops used it as army headquarters. Homes and churches became hospitals, offices, and officer’s quarters. Because of this, the city and its beautiful homes were spared from fire and destruction.
Views from the Spanish Moss Trail are beautiful.
Bring your bike and ride the Spanish Moss Trail. This green space was made where the railroad once brought recruits from Yemassee to Parris Island. The trains also carried lumber, meat and produce from Beaufort farms. The trail stretches from Port Royal to rural Beaufort County toward Yemassee.
Savannah National wildlife Refuge image by Daniel Pillatzki.
The Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is another great space to get back to nature. The refuge can be found on the Savannah River, between Hardeeville and Savannah. You will find a variety of opportunities to explore and enjoy the great outdoors from sunrise to sunset every day. You can observe and photograph wildlife, fish and hike the many trails.
Photo by Charlotte Pinckney.
Fish the Savannah River from Millstone Boat Ramp in Hardeeville or B & C Boat Landing at the Tillman Sandridge Wildlife Management Area. Common species found in the impoundments and canals are bluegill, crappie, large-mouth bass, channel and blue catfish, bowfin, and mullet, plus striped bass, red fish, and flounder.
Visit Frampton Plantation. Conveniently located on I-95, Exit 33, The Frampton Plantation House serves as the home of the Lowcountry Tourism Commission. The downstairs is open to the public. It is used as a visitor center with museum displays, tourist information and gift shop. The backyard has a lovely picnic spot under the Spanish moss draped live oaks. There’s also plenty of room to run around with the dogs.
Walterboro’s Great Swamp Sanctuaryis a beautiful place to spend some quality time. The sanctuary contains a network of boardwalks, hiking, biking, and canoe trails that are perfect for viewing a diversity of a black water bottomland habitat. Wild turkey, deer, raccoons, beaver, otter, mink, opossum, squirrels, fox, alligators, and wildcats have been spotted here. Bikes and dogs on leashes are welcome on the pathways of the sanctuary, so load up the family and make your way to this nature-based tourism gem
Downtown Walterboro is another great destination. The city is a popular spot for antiquing. Washington Street has a vast assortment of antiques stores loaded with interesting finds. The Colleton Museum and Farmers Market is located at the end of Washington Street. Visit their Marketplace Café for fresh bakes goods. Beautiful homes can be found everywhere in downtown Walterboro. A walk is the best way to appreciate the lovely structures that were used as summer homes for nearby plantations. Take a nice, leisure stroll to photograph these beauties. Hampton Street is a favorite walking destination. Start here and let your feet guide you through the neighborhood.
Wildlife biologist Charles Pinckney enjoys birding in the SC Lowcountry. Photo by Carmen Pinckney.
Exploring SC Lowcountry Parks is a great way to get outdoors! During these stressful times, it is important for us to maintain our connection with nature. While we’re all social distancing and staying home, it’s a good idea to get outdoors and soak up sunshine and fresh air. If we take precautions and listen to the guidelines put in place by our leaders, exploring a park is just what the doctor ordered! Colleton, Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper Counties have a multitude of outdoor possibilities to connect with nature. For additional information and maps of these properties visit https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/wildlife-preserves-and-nature-trails/.
Colleton County and Walterboro have some wonderful parks and wildlife management areas. Whether you want to stretch your legs or take a scenic car ride, these natural wonders have something for everyone.
ACE Trail image found on Friends of the Ace Trail website.
The ACE Trail is located two miles north of the intersection of Hwy 17 and SC HWY 303 in Green Pond. This trail runs along the abandoned Atlantic Coast Railroad Line that parallels SC Hwy 303. This trail is currently 2.8 miles, but another extension is planned soon. The trail is ideal for walking, biking and bird watching. The trail head has picnic tables and plenty of space for parking.
Colleton State Park borders the Edisto River. Image found on southcarolinastateparks.com.
Colleton State Park borders the Edisto River. Here, you’ll find a short, easy walking loop trail that travels along the river. Signs are placed along the trail to help you identify a variety of trees and plants, including Cypress trees. While here, look for birds, deer, turtles and other wildlife. The park can be found at 147 Wayside Lane, Walterboro – just a few miles off I-95.(843)538-8206
The ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge is home to a large variety of wildlife. Image by Hometown Hiker.
Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge has trails that weave through the forest and across dikes of a historic rice plantation. The refuge also has one of the few remaining antebellum houses in the area. This refuge protects the largest undeveloped estuary along the Atlantic Coast. The area is home to a wide variety of wildlife. The refuge is located at 8675 Willtown Road, Hollywood, SC, on the way to Edisto Beach. (843)889-3084
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area is a great place to look for bald eagles. Photo by Rhonda McFadden Epper.
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area is located off Hwy 17 in the Green Pond area. This wma is managed to provide quality habitat for wintering waterfowl. It’s a great spot to view bald eagles, wood storks and roseate spoonbills. Drive through this area for many opportunities to spot wildlife. The forest, marsh and river views are beautiful. Bear Island is located between the Asheepoo and S Edisto Rivers. From Hwy 17, turn onto Bennett’s Point Road and follow for 13 miles. The entrance is on TiTi Road. (843)844-8957
Former rice fields at Donnelley Wildlife Management Area are breeding grounds for American alligators. Photo by William Purcell.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area has more than 8,000 acres of diverse wildlife habitats. This property features a historic rice field system that is now managed to attract waterfowl and migratory birds. The former rice plantation is nestled between the Combahee and Asheepoo Rivers. All types of wildlife can be found here. There are 11 miles of roads that can be driven through the property. There are also walking trails that lead to dikes that cross old rice fields. Herons, egrets, ibises and many more varieties of birds can be found on this freshwater wetland. Located at 585 Donnelley Drive in Green Pond. The entrance is at the intersection of US Hwy 17 and SC Hwy 303. (843)844-8957
The Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary is in the heart of historic Walterboro. Photo by walterborosc.org.
Just three minutes of I-95, the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary is a great place to get back to nature. There are trails for hiking, biking and even canoeing. This wildlife sanctuary is in the heart of downtown Walterboro. Parking can be accessed on DeTreville Street. Boardwalks lead through a braided creek with a diversity of wildlife that inhabit the black water bottomland. (843)538-4353
The drive into Botany Bay is one of the most photographed live oak avenues in the Lowcountry. Photo by Carmen Pinckney.
Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Management Area can be found on the way to Edisto Beach. This wildlife management area borders the Atlantic Ocean and the North Edisto River. Beach access is closed until further notice, but the remainder of the property is open. Drive through this undeveloped wetland ecosystem, then park to walk trails located throughout the property. The remains of two plantations can be explored here. You can even trailer in horses and go for a ride along the many roads of Botany Bay. The entrance to the property is one of the most photographed live oak canopies in the lowcountry. Many varieties of birds and wildlife call this coastal property home. (843)844-8957
These baby raccoons make a home in a hollow tree. Photo found on southcarolinaparks.com.
Edisto Beach State Park is located on the beach and its adjacent maritime forest. The park has seven trails that are available for hiking, biking and birding. The trails wind through the forest and past the earliest Native American shell mound site in the state. A series of short, mostly level hikes travel through Edisto Island’s maritime forest of live oak, hanging Spanish moss, and palmetto trees. During your walk you may see white-tailed deer, osprey, raccoons, or alligators, and may even catch a glimpse of the wary bobcats.
There are many spots along the Spanish Moss Trail to relax and soak up the views. Image by Carmen Pinckney.
Beaufort’s Spanish Moss Trail is the product of the Lowcountry’s Rails to Trail program. The ten- mile trail follows the path that the railroad took from Yemassee to Parris Island, carrying recruits to the training facility. The rail lines were removed, and the trail was paved for walking, running, biking, fishing, skating, scooting and strolling. The Spanish Moss Trail offers spectacular river and marsh views, and a great opportunity to view wildlife. Historic points are noted along the trail.
Hunting Island State Park’s trails stretch across boardwalks and maritime forest. Photo by Scott Densmore.
Hunting Island State Park is located on the beach and its maritime forest. The park has wonderful hiking and biking trails. The park’s walking nature trails provide an opportunity to experience the island’s natural environment. The biking and hiking trail is 8 miles long. The trails lead through the maritime forest, providing scenic views of the lagoon and various wildlife habitats. The trails have dense vegetation that provides protected habitat for many animals including deer, raccoon, owls, hawks and squirrels. Walk the beach to search for shells and shore birds. Bring a picnic and pick from one of the many spots to enjoy lunch.
Strolling Crystal Lake is quite an experience. Photo by Jim Ferrell.
Crystal Lake Park can be found just across the bridge on Lady’s Island. This 25 acre park winds through forested habitats, salt marsh and around Crystal Lake. The park has many opportunities for visitors to learn about the Lowcountry’s natural resources. Walk the trail or visit the interpretative center. Be on the look-out for birds and other wildlife that makes the park home. Catch and release fishing can also be done from the docks. 124 Lady’s Island Drive, (843) 255-2152
Visiting Cypress Wetlands walking trails gives you the opportunity to see rookery wildlife. Photo by Trover.
Port Royal has two natural habitats to explore that are located relatively close to each other. You can visit both in one day. Cypress Wetlands Walking Trail is located on Paris Ave right off Ribaut Road, with parking on Paris Avenue. There are several species of birds that call this place home including herons, hawks, eagles, owls, falcons, geese, ducks, and other migratory waterfowl. It is absolutely a birdwatcher’s paradise. In addition to birds, regular visitors among the cypress trees are alligators, turtles, and snakes.
The best views at the Henry Robinson Boardwalk can be found at sun-up and sun-down. Photo by Miles Sanders.
The Henry Robinson Boardwalk is a great place for a stroll. Enjoy the wildlife while walking along the vast waterway. Located on the southern tip of Port Royal, Battery Creek flows into the Beaufort River. Search for shark’s teeth on the sandy beach. Boats and kayaks can be launched from a ramp into the river. The boardwalk is a popular place for strolling, crabbing and fishing. An observation tower is located near the end of the boardwalk. (843)986-2200
Victoria Bluff Heritage Preserve is a hidden gem in Bluffton. Photo by Justin P.
Bluffton’s Victoria Bluff Heritage Preserve is located in Bluffton off Hwy 278 on Sawmill Creek Road. Spend a day hiking, bird watching and picnicking. Avoid the preserve during hunting season. The area is used for bow hunting. Birders will want to bring binoculars and keep a sharp eye out, particularly in the spring. The understory thickets are dominated by saw palmetto and a range of evergreens. This habitat is ideal for migratory species such as tanagers, white-eyed vireos and a host of different warblers. Overhead, massive live oaks, and longleaf and slash pines cast deep shadows on the trail. In no time at all during a midday walk, things get cool and quiet.
Audubon Newhall Preserve is in top condition for spring. Photo by Ed Funk.
Hilton Head Island is commonly known for its beaches and golf community, but did you know there are many places to enjoy nature? Audubon Newhall Preserve is located at 55 Palmetto Bay Road. The birds are singing, and the plants and nature trails are in top condition for spring. This woodland ecosystem is known as pine/saw palmetto flatwoods. The preserve has a series of short, easy walking trails through the fifty-acre property. Pick up a trail guide at the entrance which will guide you through a wide variety of trees and plants, from Florida Scrub to native hardwoods. (843)785-5775
Coastal Discovery trails offer marsh views and birding opportunities. Photo from museum website.
The Coastal Discovery Museumhttps://www.coastaldiscovery.org/nature trails are open for walking and picnicking. Tale a leisurely stroll around the 68-acre property. The seashell nature trail leads to Jarvis Creek, and the camellia garden boasts 120 different varieties of bloom and color. (843-689-6767)
Jarvis Creek Park walking paths circle the lake and through the woods. Photo by Hendrik Beenker.
Jarvis Creek Park is located at 50 Jarvis Creek Road. The park was closed April 1st but will reopen on May 7th. The park is great freshwater pond fishing. There’s a floating dock and grass meadow. There’s a paved pathway that surrounds the lake and a fitness trail. Call the park for opening date. (843) 341-4600
Egrets love the unspoiled natural habitat of Pinckney Island. Photo by Betsy Arrington.
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge is located between Hilton Head Island and Bluffton. 4,052 acres that preserve the salt marsh and maritime habitat. The refuge offers a variety of opportunities to explore and enjoy the great outdoors from sunrise to sunset every day. You can observe and photograph wildlife, go fishing, hike or bike the 14-miles of roads that wind across the island. (843) 784-2468
Follow the trail for a glimpse of a historic shell ring. Photo from Google Maps.
Sea Pines Forest Preserve is a protected area for wildlife habitat and outdoor exploration. The preserve includes bridle paths, wetland boardwalks, bridges and fishing docks. Explorers can pick up a map and stroll the trails independently. View marshes and wildlife from a boardwalk at Old Lawton Rice Field. Explore a secluded forest on the boardwalk through the Vanishing Swamp. Discover the 4,000-year-old Sea Pines Shell Ring, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. See acres of native flora in bloom. Enjoy a picnic along the banks of Fish Island. (843) 785-3333
Turtles, alligators ducks and fish call Blue Heron Nature Trail home. Photo by Lyn Boyles.
Ridgeland’s Blue Heron Nature Trail is a 10-acre green space that has a half-mile trail around a three-acre pond, and forested wetlands. The property also includes a butterfly garden, picnic area, and observation decks. Trail side displays help visitors learn more about the native flora and fauna of Jasper County and the Lowcountry. Exit 21, Ridgeland, (843)726-7611
Savannah national Wildlife Refuge has 40 miles of trails to explore. Photo by Nolen Yehlik.
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is located off US Hwy 17, between Hardeeville and Savannah. Many visitors take the car tour through the former rice plantation, but did you know there are 40 miles of hiking trails through the 7,000-acre refuge? Jasper County’s Savannah National Wildlife Refuge consists of 31,551 acres of freshwater marshes, tidal rivers and creeks, and bottomland hardwoods. Well-maintained hiking trails wind throughout the refuge, giving hikers and bikers access to these former rice fields. Explore the nearly 40 miles of trails that are built on dikes that contained rice fields dating back to the early 1700’s. (843) 784-2468
Come to Webb Wildlife Management Area to get a glimpse at red-cockaded woodpeckers. Photo by Karen Marts.
Hampton has two great places to get some exercise in the great outdoors. Webb Wildlife Management Area is located off Hwy. 321, bordering the historical Savannah River. The 5,866 acres encompass upland pine stands that host endangered species such as red-cockaded woodpeckers, as well as wildlife openings, bottomland hardwood forests and cypress-tupelo swamps. The property provides excellent viewing of deer, wild turkeys, bobwhite quail, gray squirrel and many types of birds. Several nature trails can be found on the property. Ponds are available for fishing. 1282 Webb Ave, Garnett. (803)625-3569
Birds of prey search for dinner at Lake Warren State Park. Photo by southcarolinaparks.com
Lake Warren State Park is located in Hampton. The park has three trails for outdoor enthusiasts. The nature trail winds through the woods and around the fishing pond. The fitness trail has 10 exercise stations. The Yemassee Trail follows a path along Lake Warren. Interpretive signs are placed throughout. There are also fishing opportunities at the park. (803)943-5051
In the early 1800s rice and cotton plantation owners from the lower parts of the Lowcountry built summer houses on the high bluff overlooking the May River. This area is now called Bluffton. Away from the heat, mosquitoes and malaria, their families enjoyed the gentle breezes and the abundant seafood found in the river.
Photo by Carmen Pinckney.
The Cole-Heyward House is in the heart of Old Town Bluffton. This excellent example of Carolina Farmhouse Style was built in 1841 as a summer home for a local plantation owner. The simple timber frame is reminiscent of a style of architecture brought over from the West Indies. It became very popular from the Colonial period up to the Civil War. Mr. Cole was a planter who owned Moreland Plantation located on present day Palmetto Bluff.
Photo by Carmen Pinckney.
This house is one of only eight Antebellum homes that remain in Bluffton’s National Register Historic District. Designed and built by John J. Cole for his wife Ester Caroline Corley, the home served as a beloved retreat for the family to escape the disease and insects of their plantation. It also allowed the family to socialize with others living in town for the summer season.
Image found on the Heyward House Facebook page.
The house was originally one half the size it is today. Mr. Cole and his slaves built the north parlor and bedroom above. By 1860 the family outgrew the space, so they had to add on to the structure. Windows were enlarged and replaced. The original windows were reused in the dining room and back bedroom addition.
Image found on the Heyward House Facebook page.
Mr. Cole contracted tuberculosis and died following his service in the Civil War. After his death the family sold the house and moved to Texas. The house was owned briefly by Kate du Bois, the wife of the postmaster.
Image found on the Heyward House Facebook page.
The house was then purchased by the Heyward family. George Cuthbert Heyward purchased the home in the 1880s. He was the grandson of Thomas Heyward, Jr, a statesman and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Five generations of this family lived in this house until it was sold in 1998 to the Bluffton Historical Preservation Society.
Image found on the Heyward House Facebook page.
The Heyward House has not been altered over the years. The house has been preserved, not renovated since its additions in 1960. The interior walls and floor are made of wide heart pine boards. The site also has an original slave cabin and a reproduction summer kitchen. Both outbuildings can be found behind the house.
Image found on the Heyward House Facebook page.
The original unattached summer kitchen was pulled down and replaced in the 1930s with a large square attached kitchen. The materials from the original kitchen were repurposed to build a small garage on the property.
Image found on the Heyward House Facebook page.
The Heyward House is operated by the Bluffton Historical Preservation Society and open to visitors as a museum and welcome center. The Society purchased the Cole-Heyward House in 1998 from Mrs. D. Hasell Heyward. Tours of the antebellum house and former slave cabin began almost immediately after purchase.
Photo by Carmen Pinckney.
A reproduction of the original unattached summer kitchen was constructed beside the slave cabin. The kitchen is outfitted with early American furniture and tools. It also has a brick floor. The house museum and its outbuildings were designated an official project of the Save the America’s Treasures program.
Image found on the Heyward House Facebook page.
In 2000 the house became the official Welcome Center for the Town of Bluffton. According to their website, “The Cole-Heyward House is a continuing preservation project that provides a rare glimpse into antebellum life and offers educational opportunities to thousands.”
Take a trip across the Lowcountry to visit these historically significant spots.
Today’s Green Book of South Carolina pays homage to the original Green Book by highlighting African American heritage sites across the state. The original Green Book was published in 1936. It played a critical role in protecting African American travelers by providing information on safe travel and welcoming establishments across the United States. This guide was instrumental in helping black motorists navigate the dangers of racial segregation. It included gas stations, restaurants and lodging that were safe for African American travelers.
Calvin Ramsey has revived the Green Book as a guide to historically significant sites. The South Carolina Lowcountry counties of Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper are very fortunate to have 36 sites memorialized in the Green Book of South Carolina. The following sites were shared from https://greenbookofsc.com/.
BEAUFORT “Freedom Along the Combahee”: Combahee Ferry Raid Hwy 17 at Combahee River, Beaufort County A Union force consisting of nearly 300 members of the 3rd Rhode Island Artillery and the 2nd S.C. Volunteer Infantry, an African American unit, raided several plantations along the Confederate-held Combahee River on June 1-2, 1863. Col. James Montgomery led the expedition. The famed Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman also participated. More than 700 enslaved men, women, and children were freed. Some of the freedmen enlisted in the U.S. Army.
Photo by Terry Kearns
Berean Presbyterian Church / J.I. Washington Branch Library 602 Carteret St. Beaufort Samuel J. Bampfield, an influential African American political figure during Reconstruction, was the founder of Berean Presbyterian Church. He served as postmaster, clerk of the Beaufort County court, and a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. The congregation purchased this lot in 1892 and built a Gothic Revival style church. Solomon P. Hood, a future U.S. Minister to Liberia, was appointed as its first pastor. The Beaufort Township Library purchased the building in 1931 and used it as a segregated library for African Americans. After the desegregation of the Township Library, the segregated branch closed. Later, the Neighborhood Youth Corps used the building as its headquarters. USC-Beaufort purchased the site in 1993 for use as an art studio.
Camp Saxton Ribaut Rd. on the US Naval Hospital Grounds, Port Royal The Camp Saxton Site is nationally significant as an intact portion of the camp occupied from early November 1862 to late January 1863 by the 1st South Carolina Volunteers, the first black regiment mustered into regular service in the United States Army during the Civil War, and as the site of the elaborate ceremonies held here on New Year’s Day 1863 which formally announced and celebrated the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in areas then “in rebellion” against the United States. This area is preserved as part of Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. However, it is located on the campus of the Beaufort Naval Hospital, an active duty military installation. As a result, this area is not currently open to public access.
Detreville House 701 Green St. Beaufort Rev. James Graham built this house c. 1785. It became known as “the Mission” during Reconstruction, when Mrs. Rachel C. Mather of Boston occupied the house. She and other Baptist missionaries built Mather School in Beaufort to educate African Americans. The house is included in the Beaufort Historic District.
First African Baptist Church, Beaufort 601 New St. Beaufort This church, founded in 1865, grew out of an antebellum praise house for black members of the Baptist Church of Beaufort. During the Civil War, after the Federal occupation of the town, it hosted a school for Freedmen. Rev. Arthur Waddell (1821-1895), organized the church with two fellow black ministers in 1867. Robert Smalls (1839-1915), Civil War hero, state legislator, and U.S. Congressman, was its most prominent member.
Image found on the Green Book of SC website.
Grand Army of the Republic Hall 706 Newcastle St. Beaufort Although Beaufort’s black military companies remained active after the Civil War, statewide the “Negro militia” rapidly declined during the 19th century. By 1903, the only units left were two companies in Beaufort. Many black Union veterans lived in the community, and after the war they formed the David Hunter Post #9 of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization for veterans of the Union Army. Built in 1896, this meeting hall for the post is believed to be the only surviving building in South Carolina associated with the Grand Army of the Republic. It is included in the Beaufort Historic District.
Mather Museum and Interpretive Center 921 Ribaut Road, building #1, Beaufort This interpretive center chronicles the history of Mather School in Beaufort, a boarding school for freed African American females. The institution was founded in 1868 by Boston schoolteacher Rachel Crane Mather, and is one of many post-Civil War developments that sought to educate recently emancipated African Americans. It first served elementary school-age girls. In 1910, high school grades were added, and in the 1950s, it became a junior college. Today, the museum is housed in the historic school’s former library, and the campus is the site of the Technical College of the Lowcountry. Moor Hall (pictured below,) one of the campus’ original historic buildings, housed classrooms, served as an administration building, a science laboratory, a library and a bookstore. The school of cosmetology training was housed in the basement.
Tabernacle Baptist Church 907 Craven St. Beaufort The Tabernacle, a meeting house and lecture room, was built by Beaufort Baptist Church in the 1840s. In 1863, Tabernacle Baptist Church was organized by Solomon Peck of Boston with most of the 500 African American members of the congregation coming from Beaufort Baptist Church. The new congregation acquired this building for their worship services. The church was rebuilt after it was damaged by the hurricane of 1893. A bust of Civil War Hero Robert Smalls is on the church grounds. Tabernacle Baptist Church is included in the Beaufort Historic District.
Wesley Methodist Church, Beaufort 701 West St. Beaufort This church, established in 1833, was the first Methodist church in Beaufort and was founded as a mission to slaves and free blacks here and on the neighboring sea islands. The congregation had both black and white members but many more black members in the antebellum era. This church, first built in the “meeting house” form common to the Methodist church, was dedicated in 1849. In 1861, after the Federal occupation of Beaufort and the sea islands, this church hosted a school for Freedmen. Its first black minister was appointed in 1873 during Reconstruction.
Image from SC Historic Properties Record.
BEAUFORT SEA ISLANDS Coffin Point Plantation Seaside Rd. St. Helena Island Coffin Point Plantation, a prosperous sea island cotton plantation, became a hub of activity when St. Helena Island was captured by Union troops in 1861. With the Union occupation of the island, the Coffin family fled, and 260 slaves were left behind. The United States government developed a plan to train and educate the newly released slaves to prove their effectiveness as free laborers. This effort became known as the Port Royal Experiment.
Dr. York Bailey House US Hwy. 21 St. Helena Island This house was built c. 1915 for Dr. York Bailey, St. Helena Island’s first African American doctor and its only physician for more than 50 years. Bailey ordered the parts for the house from a mail-order catalog and they were shipped to Beaufort, then brought across to the island by boat. The house is a good example of the vernacular American Foursquare house form. Bailey, born on St. Helena in 1881, graduated from Penn School and Hampton Institute and studied medicine at Howard University. He returned to the island in 1906 to practice medicine.
Image found on Green Book of SC website.
Eddings Point Praise House On Eddings Point Drive, .1 miles north of junction with Secondary Road 74 St. Helena Island The small wood frame building, c. 1900, is a rare example of a praise house. Praise houses were first established on plantations as places to meet and worship. Since there were few formal church buildings on St. Helena Island, most islanders could only walk or ride to the main church on Sunday mornings. For other meetings or services, they used praise houses, holding services on Sunday night and some weeknights. There were as many as 25 praise houses on St. Helena Island as recently as 1932, but only four remain today.
Emanuel Alston House Sec. Rd. 161, .25 mi. N of jct. with US 21 Frogmore/St Helena Island This house is an intact and significant example of a one-story hipped roof house, an early 20th century vernacular architectural form common to St. Helena Island. It was built c. 1915 by Tecumseh Alston, a carpenter, for his brother Emanuel. Emanuel “Mannie” Alston, born 1900, lived here until his death in 1985. He served for many years as an elder at Ebenezer Baptist Church and took a prominent part in the services there.
Knights of Wise Men Lodge Hall 14 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. St. Helena Island The Knights of Wise Men was organized in 1870 to provide financial and farming assistance to the families of its members. The Knights purchased this property at the rear of “The Green” in 1889 for $8.00 and built a two-story wood frame building, which burned in 1940. The current concrete building was constructed shortly thereafter by local masons. It is similar in fashion to the earlier building. At its height in the 1920s, the Knights of Wise Men had some 350 members. The lodge is still used during times of celebration.
Mary Jenkins Community Praise House 355 Eddings Point Rd. St. Helena Island Mary Jenkins Community Praise House is one of only four praise houses remaining on St. Helena Island. The small wood frame building, which was built c. 1900, represents a vernacular architectural form that has survived since the plantation era. Paris Capers, born in 1863, was one of the early elders. As a place of religious worship as well as community meetings, this praise house is an important reminder of St. Helena Island’s African American heritage.
Penn Center Historic District / Reconstruction Era National Monument 16 Penn Center Cir. E. St. Helena Island Penn School was founded in 1862 by northern missionaries and abolitionists who came to South Carolina after the capture of the Sea Islands by Union troops. The site and its collection of historic buildings were venues for education, the preservation and interpretation of sea island culture, and a strategy meeting for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. before his March on Washington in 1963. In January 2017, Penn Center and other historic sites in Beaufort County were declared the nation’s first Reconstruction Era National Monument by President Barack Obama. In 2019, the monument was officially recognized as a National Park.
Image found on the Green Book of SC website.
Robert Simmons House On unpaved road .5 mile south of US HWY. 21 St. Helena Island This house was built c. 1910 by Robert Simmons, an African American farmer. The house is a rare surviving example of a double pen house, a vernacular architectural form once common on St. Helena Island. Double pen houses had two rooms side-by-side, each usually measuring approximately 16×16 feet. The house has been enlarged, but the original core is still distinguishable.
BLUFFTON Campbell AME Church 23 Boundary Street Bluffton White Methodists built Campbell Chapel AME Church in 1853. Nine African American freedmen, who were likely once enslaved by members of the white congregation, purchased the 19th-century Greek Revival structure in 1874. Members of the new African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church congregation immediately altered the building and expanded the site as the church thrived. They likely installed the cast-iron bell that is currently visible in the cupola. The church retains historic fabric that is both original and reflective of the change in ownership. Campbell Chapel AME continues to provide a space where congregants can educate youth, worship freely, and participate in outreach ministries. This historic church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 26, 2019.
Image by Lloyd Wainscott.
HILTON HEAD Cherry Hill School 210 Dillon Rd. Hilton Head Island This one-room frame school, built ca. 1937, was the first separate school building constructed for African American students on Hilton Head Island. It replaced an earlier Cherry Hill School, which had held its classes in the parsonage of St. James Baptist Church. After the black community on the island raised funds to buy this tract, Beaufort County agreed to build this school. This was an elementary school with one teacher, with an average of about 30 students. It served grades 1-5 when it opened in 1937, adding grade 6 the next school year.
First African Baptist Church, Hilton Head Island 70 Beach City Rd. Hilton Head Island This church, founded in 1862, was originally the church in the town of Mitchelville, a Freedmen’s village established on Hilton Head by the United States Army. Rev. Abraham Murchinson, its first minister, was a former slave and the church had about 120 members when it was organized in August 1862. The church moved to the Chaplin community after the Civil War and was renamed Goodwill Baptist Church. It moved to this site by 1898 and was renamed Cross Roads Baptist Church before retaking its original name. The present church was built in 1966.
Former Home of William Simmons: Gullah Museum of Hilton Head 187 Gumtree Rd. Hilton Head Island This house, built in 1930, is typical in materials and methods of construction of those built on the sea islands from the end of the Civil War to the mid-20th century. It was built on land bought by William Simmons (c. 1835-1922), who was born a slave and served in the 21st U.S. Colored Infantry during the Civil War. His granddaughter Georgianna Jones Bryan built this house in 1930 for her brother. It illustrates everyday life and the persistence of Gullah culture in an African American farm community. It was renovated in 2010-11 as the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island.
Fort Howell 160 Beach City Rd. Hilton Head Island This Civil War fort, named for Gen. Joshua Blackwood Howell (1806-1864,) was built by the U.S. Army’s 32nd Colored Infantry and the 144th N.Y. Infantry to defend Hilton Head and the nearby freedmen’s village of Mitchelville from potential Confederate raids or expeditions. That village, just east of the fort, had been established by Gen. Ormsby M. Mitchel in the fall of 1862 and was named for him after his death. The fort was an enclosed pentagonal earthwork with a 23-foot high parapet and emplacements for up to 27 guns. Though Fort Howell never saw action, it is significant for its design and its structural integrity.
The Mitchelville site is preserved as the Mitchelville Freedom Park, complete with a walking trail.
Mitchelville Site Beach City Rd. Hilton Head Island After Hilton Head’s fall to Union forces in 1861, this town was planned for the area’s former slaves and named for General Ormsby M. Mitchel. It was developed into neatly arranged streets and Ľ-acre lots. The town had elected officials, a church, laws, taxes and a school for children, and was home to about 1,500 residents in 1865. The village continued relatively intact until the 1870s and was abandoned by 1890.
Queen Chapel AME Church 114 Beach City Rd. Hilton Head The AME denomination experienced rapid growth after the Civil War and Queen Chapel was among the early churches founded. In 1865, Charleston born AME Bishop D.A. Payne returned to S.C. and brought a group of missionaries to Hilton Head Island. They met with Rev. James Lynch, who had come to S.C. in 1863 to perform missionary work among the freedmen of Mitchelville.
St. James Baptist Church 209 Dillon Rd. Hilton Head Island This church, founded in 1886 by former members of First African Baptist Church, is one of the oldest surviving institutions remaining from the town of Mitchelville, a Freedmen’s village established here by the United States Army in 1862. The present brick sanctuary, covered in stucco, is the third to serve this congregation. It was built in 1972 and renovated in 2005.
Daufuskie Island Historic District 18 Simmons Rd. Daufuskie Island – Accessible only by ferry. The cotton trade spurred the growth of the slave population on Daufuskie Island from 1805-1842, and ruins of slave houses and archaeological sites remain from this period. The island was largely abandoned during the Civil War, but many former slaves returned during Reconstruction, reoccupying slave houses and building churches, schools, and meeting places. In the early 20th century, the population swelled to almost 1000, with oysters, logging, and trucking providing jobs. By the 1940s and 1950s, outside competition had caused many to leave the island and search for jobs elsewhere, leaving the population in 1980 at fewer than 75 people.
EDISTO ISLAND Edisto Island Baptist Church 1813 SC Highway 174 Edisto Island The original core of Edisto Island Baptist Church was built in 1818 to serve the island’s white planters. Enslaved African Americans attended the church with their owners, and the original slave gallery still lines both sides of the sanctuary. After Edisto Island was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War, most of the white plantation families left the island. In 1865 the trustees of the church turned it over to the black members. Edisto Island Baptist Church has operated as an African American church since that time.
The Henry Hutchinson House is in the process of a major restoration. It is being transformed into its former glory.
Hutchinson House 7666 Point of Pines Rd. Edisto Island Built by Henry Hutchinson around the time of his marriage to Rosa Swinton in 1885, the Hutchinson House is the oldest intact house identified with the African American community on Edisto Island after the Civil War. Hutchinson was born enslaved in 1860, and according to local tradition, he built and operated the first cotton gin owned by an African American on the island from about 1900-1920. Hutchinson lived here until his death in 1940.
Image found on the Green Book of SC website.
29 Seaside School 1097 SC Hwy. 174 Edisto Island This Seaside School, which was built c. 1931 as its second building, is reported to be the oldest African American school remaining on Edisto Island. From 1931 until the construction of a consolidated school in 1954, black residents of Edisto Island received their primary education in this building, a one-story, two-room rectangular frame. In 1930, the Edisto Island school district had planned to merge Seaside with Central African American school, but the community, affected by the Great Depression, could not raise enough money for the lot and school supplies. This smaller structure was built instead.
WALTERBORO Episcopal Church of the Atonement 207 Chaplin St. Walterboro This African American congregation was formed in 1892 as a mission of St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, a white congregation. The rector of St. Jude’s supplied services for the Church of the Atonement. This distinctive Gothic Revival church was built in 1896. The wood frame building features a steep gable roof. A tower on the front, which contains the Gothic-arched entrance, is decorated with fish-scale shingles and topped with an open belfry. The Church of the Atonement is included in the Walterboro Historic District.
St. James the Greater Catholic Mission 3087 Ritter Rd. Walterboro vicinity St. James the Greater Catholic Mission is an extremely rare example of a rural, southern, black Roman Catholic parish in continuous existence from its antebellum origins to today. The site includes a sanctuary, a school, and a cemetery. The sanctuary, built around 1935 in the late Gothic Revival style and entirely clad in wooden shingles, is on the same site as two previous churches built in 1833 and 1894. The schoolhouse, constructed in 1901, is rare example of a turn-of-the-twentieth-century I-house built specifically as a school for African Americans. It provided private education for local students, regardless of religious affiliation, until 1960.
St. Peter’s AME Church 302 Fishburne St. Walterboro St. Peter’s African Methodist Episcopal Church was formed in 1867 under the leadership of Rev. James Nesbitt. This building, a Gothic Revival wood frame structure, was constructed around 1870. It features Gothic windows and a tower with an open belfry. It is part of the Walterboro Historic District.
Training the Tuskegee Airmen Tuskegee Airmen Dr. Walterboro Airport During World War II, the first African Americans in the U.S. Army Air Corps graduated from the Tuskegee Army Flying School in Alabama. From May 1944 to October 1945, some of them took further combat training here, at Walterboro Army Airfield. Several of the earliest “Tuskegee Airmen,” who had already won fame in missions in Europe and North Africa, were assigned as combat flight instructors. Trainees here flew the P-39, P-47, and P-40 fighter planes and the B-25 bomber. Officers’ quarters and enlisted men’s barracks stood just east and just west of this spot, respectively.
HAMPTON Hampton Colored School Holly St., between Lightsey St. & Hoover St. Hampton This two-room school was built under the leadership of Ervin Johnson, a local African American carpenter in 1929. It served students in grades one through eight. At first funds were so scarce it was only open from October to March. Eventually however, donations from the black community allowed it to operate for a full school year. Later, high school courses were offered. This remained the only black school in town until the Hampton Colored High School was built in 1947. Then it was converted into the lunchroom for the high school. Marker erected by Hampton County Historical Society, 1989.
Image found on the Green Book of SC website.
Huspah Baptist Church and School 729 Magnolia St. W. Hampton Organized c. 1873, the congregation first met in the homes of church members before erecting a permanent sanctuary. It also began operating a school for African American students around 1890. The first school burned in 1895 (arson was suspected, but never proven). It re-opened the following year. Elizabeth Evelyn Wright and Jessie Dorsey were the first teachers at the new school. Wright would go on to found Voorhees College in 1897. The school at Huspah remained in service until the County built a new school for African American students in 1927. Marker sponsored by Huspah Baptist Church, 2015.
TILLMAN St. Matthew Baptist Church 1454 Tillman Rd. Tillman This church was founded in 1870 with Rev. Plenty Pinckney as its first minister and worshipped in a “bush tent” nearby until a log church was built a few years later. A new frame church was built on this site in the 1890s during the pastorate of Rev. C.L. Lawton. The present sanctuary was built in 1960 during the tenure of Rev. R.M. Youmans, who served here for more than 35 years. Marker erected by the Congregation, 2002.
The Garvin House is located in the heart of Old Town Bluffton. The 1870 cottage is a great example of late 19th century Carolina Lowcountry architecture. The house was constructed during the Reconstruction Era of hand-hewn timbers and other materials found in the area.
Photo by Carmen Pinckney.
According to their website, “The Garvin House is believed to be one of the earliest known freedmen owned houses still extant on the May River. The residence remained in the Garvin family for three generations until 1961. The structure remained in private hands until 2001, when the Beaufort County Land Trust acquired the house and property. In 2004, Beaufort County and the Town of Bluffton entered into a partnership to share the responsibility of maintaining the Oyster Factory Park, which includes the Garvin House. The house has the potential to become a centerpiece of interpretation for the park due to its extreme rarity as a home constructed and owned by African-Americans in Bluffton during the Reconstruction Era.”
Photo by Carmen Pinckney.
The house was built by Cyrus Garvin on the bluff of the May River. Garvin purchased the 54-acre property in 1878 for $239.70. The land formerly belonged to Joseph Baynard. Garvin was a freedman who was likely once a slave on this property. This home is the only example of the freedmen’s cottages that sprang up around the May River as slaves staked their claims to land they’d been born into while in bondage. Joseph Baynard sold Garvey the land and employed Garvey to run the Baynard farm. Garvey also passed on his good fortune to the community. He helped purchase land to build St. Matthew’s Church.
Photo by Carmen Pinckney.
Recent documentation indicates the Garvin family hosted social events at their house during the early 20th century. This information shows the importance of the Garvin family in Bluffton society.
Photo by Carmen Pinckney.
Cyrus Garvin died in 1891. The property passed to his son Isaac. He lived here with his wife Jenny and their son Paul. After Isaac’s death, Jenny continued to live in the house until her death in the 1950’s.
Restoration photo found on the Garvin-Garvey website.
The house then passed through several hands including the Bluffton Oyster Company. In 2001 Beaufort County Land Trust acquired the badly dilapidated house and the surrounding land to create Oyster Factory Park. Beaufort County and the Town of Bluffton then began stabilizing the Garvin House. The restoration was completed in 2017.
Restoration photo found on the Garvin-Garvey website.
The Garvin House stands today as a fine example of an architectural style that is often overlooked. It gives a clear insight into building methods that were used during this important time in American history. It is a testament to the freedmen and what they could accomplish.
Photo by Carmen Pinckney.
The Garvin House is now open to the public for tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am – 4 pm. It is located at the intersection of Bridge and Wharf Streets in Old Town Bluffton. For more information call (843) 757-6293 or visit https://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/324/Garvin-Garvey-House.
Spending a day on the water with Captain Fuzzy Davis
Redfish are plentiful in the waters of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Spending the day on the water in the South Carolina Lowcountry is always a good idea. Booking a charter fishing trip with Hilton Head’s nationally acclaimed Silva Dolla Fishing Charters with Fuzzy Davis is brilliant! Davis has been fishing the waters around Hilton Head for over 40 years.
He has been featured in magazines and television shows. Not to brag, but he has held the SC State Tarpon Record since 1986, and Saltwater Sportsman Magazine ranked him in the “Top 50 Boat Captains in the US”.
Captain Fuzzy Davis
Davis’ skill on the water and great personality make him a
favorite for locals and tourists alike. He’s the boat captain my family calls
on for a day of fishing.
The day begins bright and early at the Boathouse dock. Davis
is ready and waiting. His boat is loaded with ice, bait, tackle, fishing
license, bottled water and all the fishing trivia you can handle.
After loading up, you will head off in pursuit of fish in the saltwater creeks, rivers, sounds or offshore. Inshore excursions focus on redfish and sea trout. Nearshore trips target Tarpon, shark, redfish, trout, and cobia.
The first catch was a bonnethead shark.
The first catch of the day is always exciting. Per dad’s request, the group started fishing for sharks. It didn’t take long to start pulling in some beauties. This bonnethead shark put up quite the fight before being hauled on board. Bonnetheads live in subtropical waters from North Carolina to the Caribbean. They typically grow between two and five feet long.
Dad gets in on the action.
Reeling in a shark is exhilarating.
The proud catch.
The last catch of the day brought out the competition in the girls. They came out even though because one redfish weighs more while the other is longer.
Catching redfish brings out friendly competition.
After four hours of reeling in sharks, stingrays, and redfish, the fishing party was amply satisfied and exhausted. Great memories were made, and bonds were strengthened. The next morning plans were made for the next fishing excursion with Fuzzy.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LOWCOUNTRY
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The Lowcountry & Resort Islands Region of South Carolina includes the four, southern-most counties in the state, Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, and Colleton, which are bordered on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by the Savannah River and the state of Georgia.
The South Carolina Lowcountry Guidebook is filled with many things to see and do in the beautiful Lowcountry of South Carolina. Please fill out the information and we will send you a FREE GUIDE BOOK.
