The Atlanta Journal Constitution has an interesting article on touring the Reconstruction Era and other historic sites in Beaufort, South Carolina. While the new Reconstruction National Park there is still in its early phase, there are sites there where you can learn about the unique post-Emancipation history of the area. From the article:
Newly established in 2017 by President Barack Obama, Reconstruction Era National Historic Park is currently being developed and is a work in progress. However, there are several ways to explore the history of this era now, starting at the Penn Center on St. Helena Island. Here you can visit the original Penn School at Darrah Hall and the Brick Baptist Church, built in 1855 by enslaved people. Deemed a National Historic Landmark in 1974, the campus not only continues to fulfill its educational mission, but it also features a museum and gift shop, a cultural center and the site where Martin Luther King Jr. penned his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
The Beaufort History Museum gives a glimpse into the role Beaufort played in American history. Located in the historic 1852 arsenal, the building was home to African-American militia units during Reconstruction and was used as the first post-Civil War voting station. Other Reconstruction era sites in the works include the Old Beaufort Firehouse, which will be converted into a National Park Visitor Center.
Beaufort’s charming downtown historic district is filled with a variety of sites, including the Mark Verdier House, circa 1804, a Federal-style mansion that belonged to the wealthy merchant and planter Mark Verdier. On site are a number of exhibits, including a scale model diorama of Bay Street in 1863, Civil War photos and an exhibit devoted to Robert Smalls, who was born into slavery in Beaufort and went on to become a Union naval hero during the Civil War and a South Carolina congressman during the Reconstruction era.
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