Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, National Historical Park in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States.

This national park encompasses four sites around Beaufort connected to the post-Civil War period: Darrah Hall, Brick Baptist Church, the old firehouse, and the Camp Saxton site. The park preserves the physical locations where the history of this transition unfolded.

The park was established in 2017 to preserve sites tied to the Reconstruction era following the Civil War. This period marked major shifts as formerly enslaved people sought to secure their rights and independence.

The park shows how formerly enslaved people built their own communities after the war, with churches and public buildings serving as gathering places. These locations tell the story of how people came together and shaped new lives in freedom.

The old firehouse in Beaufort serves as the visitor center with information about the different park sites. It works best to visit multiple locations in sequence to grasp the full story.

On New Year's Day 1863, Union General Rufus Saxton read the Emancipation Proclamation aloud at Camp Saxton to about 3,000 freed slaves from the Sea Islands. The same site saw some of the first African-American soldiers mustered into the U.S. Army as the 1st South Carolina Volunteers. The Emancipation Oak stands in a nearby grove, and exhibits are housed in the small white Pinckney Porter's Chapel.