April 25, 2012

Comments Made to City Council on April 24, 2012

Filed under: News,Preservation — historicbeaufort @ 10:09 am

We are here to again voice our interest in achieving the best future redevelopment of the properties in the Historic District that adjoin the Bladen Street Redevelopment District and to reiterate our belief that that can best be accomplished by retaining Historic District Review Board (HDRB) oversight for those properties.

HBF is concerned about the potential expansion of the Bladen Street Redevelopment District throughout the Historic District. It has been implied that any parcel in the Historic District might be subject to rezoning to Bladen Street Redevelopment and be removed from Historic District Review Board oversight.

Following its vote against including the two additional parcels in the Bladen Street District, the Beaufort-Town of Port Royal Metropolitan Planning Commission recommended the placement of boundaries on the Bladen Street Redevelopment District.  This is a recommendation with which we strongly concur and we believe is critical.

Without defined boundaries, what is to stop the expansion of the Bladen Street Redevelopment District throughout the Historic District and the elimination of a separate review process (the HDRB) based on the Historic District Guidelines (Milner Associates’ Beaufort Preservation Manual and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Rehabilitation)? The answer is simple. Nothing.  The Bladen Street Redevelopment District is slowly creeping into the National Historic Landmark District and potentially eroding the historic fabric that many generations have so carefully worked to protect.

As the Bladen Street District ordinance currently reads, to include the two proposed parcels in the Redevelopment District essentially removes them from protections afforded by the Historic District guidelines.  By removing these two properties from the purview of the HDRB, the character and quality of Beaufort and our National Historic Landmark District, and possibly the City’s CLG status, is jeopardized.

We believe conflicting standards for infill development set a dangerous precedent for other properties in the Historic District.  If a project is appropriate for the Historic District, it will be approved by the HDRB.  A change in zoning is not necessary in order to rehabilitate a structure or redevelop a site. There has been no indication that projects have been proposed for these two particular parcels. Given that fact and that appropriate projects do get approved, we wonder why the proposed zone change is necessary?

While we do strongly support appropriate infill, Historic Beaufort Foundation opposes the proposed zoning change.  We adamantly believe that any changes needed to move the Bladen Street streetscape forward can be proposed through the Historic District Design Review Board making the rezoning redundant.

Please seriously consider the ramifications of removing these two parcels from the Historic District and the far-reaching implications such a decision could have on the integrity of Beaufort’s Historic District.

August 11, 2011

Photo of the Week

Filed under: Education,Preservation — historicbeaufort @ 12:29 pm

This photo was an exciting find for HBF because it gives us an excellent view of the Verdier House outbuildings in the 1890s which no longer exist.

Taken at the corner of Bay and Scott’s streets, the photo is a copy of one that originally appeared in a book about the Red Cross and was taken after the 1893 hurricane when Clara Barton organized a relief effort in Beaufort.

It’s labeled “Carts loaded with grits for the distributing station at McLoud’s,” a reference possibly to McLeod’s Farm at Seabrook. Temporary distribution sites were established throughout the county.

(Click on the photo to enlarge.)

February 9, 2011

Photos of 1915 Duke Street

Filed under: General,Preservation — historicbeaufort @ 9:52 am

February 8, 2011

Time & Tides: A Celebration of 300 Years — Sponsorship Opportunities

Filed under: Events,General — historicbeaufort @ 2:58 pm

This year’s Soiree will actually have a different focus as we are celebrating Beaufort’s 300th birthday.  The Soiree Committee and Historic Beaufort Foundation’s Board of Trustees are very excited about the event, Time & Tides: A Celebration of 300 Years, and how it is coming together.

We anticipate that the 2011 event will draw new attendees as well as those who attend the party every year as we celebrate Beaufort’s storied history.

We would like to ask you to consider a sponsorship of the event.  A large portion of Historic Beaufort Foundation’s annual income comes from our spring event.  As a sponsor, your name will be prominently displayed on all event materials including all advertising and mailings, which are received by almost 1,000 individuals and businesses.  Sponsors will have exposure at the event itself with listings in the program and on signage at the event.  You’ll also receive tickets to the event, have reserved parking, and a special table by the band and dance floor.

Please join us in supporting this wonderful event that helps our community protect its important historic resources. Call 843-379-3331  or email info@historicbeaufort.org for more information.

February 7, 2011

Free House!

Filed under: General,Preservation — historicbeaufort @ 1:05 pm

Historic Beaufort Foundation has joined with the owners of a ca. 1890 cottage to find someone to move and preserve the structure which has been slated for demolition. The Killingsworth House at 1915 Duke Street and owned by Family Enterprises  is one of a few remaining structures in one of Beaufort’s earliest suburbs and is free to anyone who will move it. The owners received permission to demolish it from the City of Beaufort’s Historic District Review Board last month.

A modest cottage that was the architectural norm in what was once called Dixon Village just blocks east of Ribaut Road near the current Beaufort County Courthouse, 1915 Duke was built on part of the former Hermitage Plantation, a significant antebellum plantation. Until the first decade of the 20th century, Dixon Village was outside the town limits.

While it is not in the National Historic Landmark District, the house is important because it’s part of the legacy of late 19th century African-American building patterns, according to HBF records. The cottage was built on one of 54 lots that were subdivided after the Civil War from Hermitage Plantation owned by the family of Caroline Edings Sams Fripp who acquired title in 1878 and created the suburb. Ned Killingsworth purchased the lot in 1889 and built the house sometime after that.

Stylistically, the house shares a one-story, side-gable architectural form found commonly in the adjacent Northwest Quadrant that date to the same period, c. 1875 – 1900. Aerial images suggest that the extension at the northeast corner of the house was an early ell, and that a later addition at the northwest corner of the house is not historic.

Other remaining historic structures in Dixon Village that have not been modified extensively are the Peete House at 1805 Duke Street, the Alston House at 1909 Duke Street which was a duplex or triplex and Bethel Church at 1823 Duke Street.

For additional information, call HBF at 379-3331.

February 3, 2011

A personal discovery of the faceted Robert Smalls story to be told at Dinner & a Lecture

Filed under: Education,Events,General — historicbeaufort @ 12:22 pm

Another chapter in Beaufort’s long, varied and colorful history will be presented as part of Historic Beaufort Foundation’s “Dinner & a Lecture” series Monday, February 28th, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., at the Verdier House, 801 Bay Street.

“The History and Architecture of the McKee-Smalls House” will be presented by Robert Smalls’ scholar and lecturer Dennis Cannady.  The story of the home is embellished by Cannady’s personal discovery of the Robert Smalls story and also the story of the ship CSS PLANTER.   Newcomers are often swept up in the romance and the facts of Smalls’ life, but perhaps none more so than Cannady. He, like most new to Beaufort, had never heard of Smalls despite a lifetime of Civil War research. Once here, with his avocation of history and his hobby of building historic ship models, Cannady found previously unexplored material.

History related to Beaufort is, in many cases, like nowhere else. An example is the story of Smalls, born into enslavement, whose daring action in the Civil War led to his impact on Beaufort’s history for over 45 years and on generations of Beaufortonians that extends until today.

The McKee-Smalls House at 511 Prince Street was Smalls’ home both in enslavement and as a free man. The house remained in his family until 1940. Cannady will give an overview of the history of the McKee family starting with the Lords Proprietors’ land grants on Lady’s Island where Ashdale Plantation was developed to the in-town house and Smalls’ storied acquisition of the house during the Civil War. Changes to the house from its building in the 1810s to the recent changes by the current owners will also be examined. A scale model of the house, built by Cannady, will be on display along with photographs from the model’s research, design, and construction phases

In addition to lecturing on Smalls and the crafting of ship models for Osher Life Long Learning, Cannady, a retired mechanical engineer, is a lecturer for the nationally touring exhibition, The Life & Times of Congressman Robert Smalls, which will be at the Verdier House next October – December. His ship models have been displayed in galleries and museums along the east coast from Jacksonville to Boston.

Open to HBF members and non-members, the monthly lecture series features a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception, 5:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Programs are 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. followed by audience questions and are held the fourth Monday of each month.

A three-course dinner at Saltus River Grill is offered at $19 per person for attendees at the lecture. Admission to the lecture is $15/$25 per member/member couple respectively, and $20/$30 per non-member/non-member couple respectively. Seating is limited; call 379-3331 to make reservations. Call Saltus River Grill directly to make dining reservations.

January 26, 2011

Special Educational Trip Planned by HBF

Filed under: Education,Events,General — historicbeaufort @ 4:45 pm

Connoisseur Trip to Ossabaw Island: March 2-3

Located 20 miles south of Savannah, GA, Ossabaw is one of the best preserved of Georgia’s magnificent barrier islands. With a total area of 26,000 acres, its many natural zones progressing from the ocean include beaches, dunes, meadows, ponds, maritime forest and freshwater and saltwater marshes. The island was inhabited by Native Americans from as early as 2200 B.C. to the 18th Century and offers numerous archaeological sites as well as slave cabins, a late 19th Century prefab house and a grand 1920s mansion in the midst of undisturbed wildlife. Owned by the State of Georgia and managed through a public-private partnership with the Ossabaw Island Foundation, Ossabaw Island has been designated as a Heritage Preserve by the state, with its use restricted to natural, scientific and cultural study, research and education.

Please note that Ossabaw Island is not open to the public. HBF has special permission for the trip.

Price is $250 per HBF member or $275 per non-HBF member. Download a trip brochure here. Call 843-379-3331 to make your reservation!

Appraisal Day at the Verdier House

Filed under: Events,General — historicbeaufort @ 11:33 am

We’re excited to host an “Appraisal Day” at the Verdier House on Wednesday, February 23 between 10:00 and 4:00.  Members of the community can bring up to three items to be appraised by Amanda Everard.  Ms. Everard is President of Everard & Company, an auction and appraisal company located in Savannah, Georgia that was established in 2003. She graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut where she received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Art History and Studio Art. She worked at Sotheby’s for 11 years as a coordinator in the Trust and Estate Department, Head of the Arcade Furniture Department and most recently as Vice President in the English Furniture Department.   The cost is $35 for HBF members and $50 for non-HBF members.  Appointments must be made in advance, so please call 379-3331 to reserve your time slot.

January 18, 2011

Dinner and a Lecture-Monday, January 24

Filed under: Education,Events,General — historicbeaufort @ 1:11 pm

“African Americans in the Civil War” by Joseph McGill, Jr.

Open to HBF members and non-members, the lecture series, which takes place on the second floor of the Verdier House, features a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception, 5:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. The program is 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. followed by audience questions. A three-course dinner at Saltus River Grill is offered at $19 per person for attendees at the lecture. Admission to the lecture is $15/$25 per member/member couple respectively, and $20/$30 per non-member/non-member couple respectively. Seating is limited. Call 379-3331 to make reservations. Call Saltus River Grill directly to make dining reservations.

Joseph McGill, Jr. is a native of Kingstree, SC and is currently a Program Officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He works in the Southern Office in Charleston, SC and is responsible for the states of Alabama, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Mr. McGill received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Professional English from South Carolina State University. He spent six years in the United States Air Force and has been employed by the National Park Service, Penn Center, and the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa.

Mr. McGill is the founder of Company “I” 54th Massachusetts Reenactment Regiment in Charleston, SC. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was the regiment portrayed in the award-winning movie Glory. As a Civil War reenactor, Mr. McGill participates in parades, living history presentations, lectures, and battle reenactments. Mr. McGill is a member of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission and the African American Historical Alliance.

This program is supported by The Humanities Council SC.

January 13, 2011

Temperatures Rising for 11th Annual Oyster Roast

Filed under: Events,General — historicbeaufort @ 11:53 am

Warm up at the Oyster Roast! Temperatures are climbing in the next 10 days with the thermometer expected to rise by at least 10 degrees by Friday, January 21st – just in time to join HBF members and friends at the 11th Annual Oyster Roast.  And to warm the pockets of those under the age of 35, ticket prices have been dropped for the 7 p.m. serving only to $35 per person.

The grounds of Marshlands will be bright with bonfires for warming your hands. Oysters, chicken gumbo and an open bar will warm your appetites.  Beek Webb’s Sea Island Ramblers will provide music to make you move while a tented area with outdoor heaters will be available for the hard-to-heat among you!

Call 379-3331 to make a reservation or stop by 208 West Street between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. to pay with a check.

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