HISTORY: BLUFFTON

•Seven Oaks - 82 Calhoun Street

Possibly named after the seven live oak tree stump piers that support the house, Seven Oaks was constructed around 1850 for Lieutenant Middleton Stuart (1831—1920) and his wife, Emma Barnwell Stoney Stuart (1837—1916). This unique two-story residence with double verandahs on its façade is one of Blu ton’s most iconic Contributing Resources. Surviving the Burning of Blu ton in June 1863, the property was sold to Frances Marion Edward in 1866 and was later owned by the Baynard family of Hilton Head. In the 1920s, it was operated as a popular boarding house by Mrs. Elizabeth Sanders which catered to salesmen and summer visitors to Blu ton where local lore holds that one evening, a brawl occurred in room 13 which resulted in the gun shot death of one of the guests.

•Coastal Battery Housing - 27 and 37 Calhoun Street

Along the east side of Calhoun Streets, between Church and Lawton streets, are two structures with a rather interesting past. Constructed around 1940, these cottages served as military housing on Hilton Head Island during the Second World War and were relocated by barge around 1946, possibly by Paul Pinckney, to Blu ton to replace housing that was lost during the Burning of Blu ton in 1863. Since then, these colorful structures have served as houses, medical o ces, retail stores, and art galleries.

•Garvin-Garvey House - 101 Bridge Street

Dating to c.1870, the Garvin-Garvey House is notable as an excellent example of Carolina lowcountry vernacular architecture of the late-19th century. The house utilizes a combination of traditional building techniques, including hand-hewn timbers and notching with Anglo methods including milled lumber and fabricated materials, to create an original hall-parlor plan with shed extensions. The Garvin-Garvey House is believed to be one of the earliest known freedmen owned houses still extant on the May River. It was built by Cyrus Garvin (Garvey) and remained in the possession of the Garvin family for three generations until 1961. In 2004, the Town of Blu ton entered into a partnership with Beaufort County to maintain the Oyster Factory Park, which includes the Garvin-Garvey House which is owned by the County. The Town began an extensive documentation and restoration project which was completed in 2017. Today, it is open for docent and self-guided tours.