From staff reports
The Beaufort History Museum will offer the public a “sneak peek” of its latest acquisition – a doll house version of The Anchorage 1770 from 3 to 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Museum at 713 Craven Street in downtown Beaufort.
Admission to the event is free for Museum members. Membership may be purchased at the door ($25 individual, $35 family of two). Refreshments will be served.
The doll house was constructed during the late 1980s, when Joseph Belvedere managed the inn and the Ribault Social Club restaurant.
The full-size house was built between 1770 and 1778 by Ralph Elliott and remained in the Elliott family until the Battle of Port Royal Sound in November 1861, when the white population fled in reaction to the arrival of Federal troops. During the Civil War, the house served as a hospital during the occupation, when it was called Mission House.
In 1891, the house was bought by Admiral Lester Anthony Beardslee, who had accompanied Commodore Matthew Perry in the opening of Japan to international commerce. He improved the house by adding the third floor and piazzas on the second and third floors, as well as installing indoor plumbing and the first elevator (not modeled) in Beaufort. He named the house The Anchorage as an homage to his service in the United States Navy.
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
Please call 843-525-8500 beforehand to confirm museum staff availability. Admission to the Beaufort History Museum is $5 for adults and children 12 and older. Active military and children younger than 12 are free.
The Beaufort History Museum, founded in 1939, focuses specifically on the history of the Beaufort District. It manages and displays artifacts and documents held by the City of Beaufort, telling the compelling stories of this area, from the early 16th century until modern times. For more information, visit www.BeaufortHistoryMuseum.com, or follow the Museum’s Facebook page.
