Bluffton, Coastal town in Beaufort County, South Carolina
Bluffton sits along the May River in Beaufort County, connecting a small historic center with newer residential developments that spread across pine forests and wetlands. The town includes several community sections, among them the old quarter with preserved 19th-century buildings and modern neighborhoods further inland.
The settlement began in the early 19th century as a summer retreat for planter families from the coastal region, escaping the heat and diseases of the rice plantations. Union troops burned most of the town in 1863 but spared ten buildings that now form the core of the historic district.
The Secession Oak in the old town center takes its name from an 1844 gathering of planters who met beneath its branches to protest federal taxes. The historic district today still shows antebellum architecture, with white-painted churches and homes lining quiet streets.
The historic district can be explored on foot, while the newer residential areas and shopping centers require a car. Most shops and restaurants sit along the main roads that connect the center with the outer developments.
The annual oyster and seafood festival brings fishing boats and aquaculture operations from the region together in the fall, selling their harvest directly along the riverfront. The community maintains river fishing traditions even as many residents now work in other sectors.
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