Consider this book an invitation to enter the historic houses of the venerable city of Beaufort, South Carolina. Founded in 1712, Beaufort, the second oldest city in South Carolina, is located in the heart of the Carolina lowcountry, midway between Charleston and Savannah. Smaller and more remote than its neighboring cities, Beaufort is a rich repository of 18th- and 19th-century houses. The variety of architectural styles reveals the city's economic and social history.

The houses in this book represent the entire range of the architectural spectrum--from simple vernacular frame cottages to grand, tabby mansions. The houses are located within the city and in plantations and farms in the surrounding lowcountry. It is the purpose of Historic Beaufort Foundation to preserve these and other historically significant buildings and places in the city and county of Beaufort to ensure that their rich heritage and unique character are passed to future generations.

This book is intended to honor the legacy of those builders, laborers, owners, and their descendants who left us with these architectural treasures. It is also the intention of this book to encourage and promote the stewardship of historic preservation of these and other historic buildings.

One hundred years from now, when visitors arrive in Beaufort, we hope they will find the architectural integrity of its buildings intact. The invitation is extended.