Development near Emancipation Oak is a disgrace to the historical significance of the site
A friend of mine and I attended the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation at Tabernacle Baptist Church, and went, along with many others, to the site on the grounds of Naval Hospital Beaufort in Port Royal. There were people attending who had come from several other parts of the country because they were so interested and respectful of the occasion, as well, of course, as many from the Beaufort area. I think everyone was a bit shocked to see that the area right around the tree had been encroached upon by the construction of a ranch house that is part of the military housing in the area. The back screened porch of this house was within about 10 feet of the tree, not to mention the owner’s satellite TV dish, which was also interfering with the view. It was really quite difficult to focus on the profound history of the site under these conditions, and, all in all, I would have to say … a disgrace. The only good news is that because of the impossibility of the general public even getting on the grounds to see this, not too many people are aware of this amazing lack of respectful treatment of this supremely hallowed site.
