Beaufort County will use $350,000 of Federal money it has received from the American Rescue Plan for signage to mark and connect historic sites that are a part of the county’s Reconstruction Era history.
Beaufort is the home of the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park, which was named a new National Park and National Monument under then-president Barack Obama.
Beaufort county was freed from Confederate control in 1862 and its population liberated from slavery. Reconstruction experiments included the creation of Freedmen’s schools, the creation of Penn Center and also the recruitment of Black Union soldiers.
According to Beaufort County, it will erect “signage that lends a unified County-Wide presence to our historic sites related to the Reconstruction Era.” See full article on use of funds.
Since the creation of the Reconstruction Era National Park, the county has seen a growth in historical tourism. The signage is likely to increase the visitation as sites beyond the park are marked for everyone to see.
The announcement of the new markers comes near the 160th anniversary of the liberation of Beaufort. On December 5, 1861, the Union Army staged a parade in Beaufort to celebrate the occupation of the city.
