From staff reports
Beaufort County Council has unanimously voted to name the Boundary Street property, located next to the recently torn down County Engineering Building, “1st South Carolina Volunteers Park.”
In cooperation with the city of Beaufort and Open Land Trust, the County wanted to preserve the marsh front open space and officially recognize an important piece of Beaufort’s Civil War history.
“I want to thank Open Land Trust and especially Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray for all their hard work,” Council Member and Community Services and Land Use Chair Alice Howard said. “Working in cooperation to preserve marsh front open space and at the same time honoring the bravery, sacrifice, and commitment of the 1st South Carolina Volunteers is the best way to preserve history and their legacy.”
Beaufort County, the City of Beaufort, and the Open Land Trust have worked together over several years to acquire parcels of land along Boundary Street and Battery Creek, located within the municipal boundaries of the City of Beaufort. The three entities have completed the purchase of the parcels and demolition of the commercial structures that were located on the park site.
The Boundary Street Open Space/ Pocket Park is strongly tied to the legacy and importance of the 1st South Carolina Volunteers for their contributions toward the protection of the Sea Islands and bravery in other Civil War activities. The historical significance, sacrifice, and commitment of the 1st South Carolina Volunteers is worthy of public recognition. As such, the proposed Resolution names the park in honor of the 1st South Carolina Volunteers.
The 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a Union Army regiment during the American Civil War, formed by General Rufus Saxton. It was composed of escaped slaves from South Carolina and Florida. It was one of the first black regiments in the Union Army.
Many of the regiment’s descendants are part of the Gullah community still residing on Beaufort’s Sea Islands; naming the Boundary Street park in recognition of this regiment is an honor recognizing the actions and patriotism of these Beaufortonians during the war.
