Beaufort, South Carolina: A History

This comprehensive look into Beaufort s past reveals a wide-ranging set of influences that helped to shape the island city s development. From the landing of Spanish sailors in 1514 to the influx of present-day sun seekers, Beaufort has played host to a variety of inhabitants that have each added a distinct element to its captivating milieu.

Author Alexia Jones Helsley calls upon a lifetime of experience as one of South Carolina s premier archivists and historians to illuminate all aspects of Beaufort s history. Herself a native of old Beaufort and an accomplished genealogist, Helsley uses elegant, thoughtful prose to convey the duality of this Lowcountry jewel, from sparkling tides and majestic homes to hurricanes and hidden slave quarters.

It is through the prism of this intriguing dual nature, present in many forms throughout Beaufort s past, that Helsley shows readers the ways in which the city fits into the history of the region, the nation and the continent. This vital text is unmatched in its ability to bring to life the fascinating story of a city nearly five hundred years in the making."


About the Author
Helsley, Alexia Jones: - Raised in Beaufort, South Carolina, Alexia Jones Helsley was a member of the Beaufort High School class of 1963. She is an adjunct history professor at the University of South Carolina-Aiken. Her 37-year career as an archivist with the South Carolina Department of Archives and History included publications on national and state historical topics. Her books include South Carolinians in the War for American Independence, Unsung Heroines of the Carolina Frontier, and The Many Faces of Slavery (co-author). Alexia recently taped Branches, an eight-part program on how historians and genealogists can use state records, for SC-ETV.