od and Mother Nature have smiled on this town called Beaufort South Carolina. This historic community has been favored over the centuries by native Americans, by English settlers, by Sea Island Cotton planters and modern day movie makers. It has endured two wars, tropical storms and hurricanes largely unscathed. But, more than a survivor of these tumultuous periods in history, Beaufort has flourished and continues to flourish in its own very special way.

Located on one of the largest Sea Islands of the southeastern Atlantic Coast -- Port Royal Island -- Beaufort's accessibility to the sea has enticed settlers from many cultures, evidenced by French, Spanish, British and New England flavors influencing its architecture. Buoyed by Sea Island cotton and abundant crops of indigo, rice and even tobacco in the surrounding region, Beaufort rose to its first Golden Era in the Pre-Civil War, early 19th Century. Owners of these nearby plantations took up residence in stately town mansions along Beaufort's tree-lined waterfront. In more recent years the town's scenic beauty and authenticity has attracted many Hollywood movie makers.

One of the few Southern towns spared by Union troops, Beaufort's quaint "downtown" is a jewel of parks, inns, dining and retail establishments within an historic setting. About 90 of its significant structures: mansions, homes, churches, cemeteries, and forts are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Little wonder this marvelous place has been named "Most Romantic Town on the East Coast", by LIFE Magazine.