Historical Nuggets: Beaufort County was named for Henry Somerset, Duke of Beaufort (1684-1714). The district was formed in 1769 from the parishes of Prince William, St. Luke, St Helena, and St. Peter. Beaufort, the county seat, Bluffton, Hilton Head island, Port Royal and Yemassee are just a few of the cities and towns that make up the 587 square miles that fall inside the county lines. Beaufort, the second oldest town in South Carolina, was founded in 1710.
In the years preceding the Civil War, rice and sea island cotton brought incredible wealth to the area's plantation owners. The Civil War brought change and in 1862 the first school in the South for freed slaves was established at what is now Penn Center on St. Helena Island. During the turbulent 1960s, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, chose Penn as a training site for retreat and strategic planning in their fight for equality. Some of Beaufort County's more famous residents include Robert Smalls (1839-1915), a former slave who became a United States Congressman; boxer Joe Frazier; and best-selling author Pat Conroy.
Population & Demographics: Per the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006-2008 American Community Survey, this county had a total population of 146,743 with 29,864 (20%) being African American. Heirs' property is an important issue for many African American families in Beaufort County. The Center offers services to families in Beaufort County and schedules Intake interviews in Beaufort for those who want to discuss their situations with a Center attorney. Please call the office to schedule an appointment for legal services or to sponsor a seminar.
To learn more about Beaufort County visit http://www.sciway.net/cnty/beaufort.html or check out the resources shown below.
Beaufort County Genealogy Resources
Donate Now to the Center for Heirs' Property Preservation
