History well preserved The Hunting Island lighthouse It was built in 1859 and rebuilt in 1875 after it was destroyed during the Civil War. Severe beach erosion made it necessary to relocate the lighthouse 1.3 miles inland in 1889. It’s again visible from the beach. Fort Fremont The fort was built in 1899 on Lands End across the Beaufort River from the Naval Station to protect the dry dock and coaling station during the Spanish American War. It was decommissioned in 1921. Penn Center It was built in 1865 as the first school for freed slaves. Today, it is a resource for education, historic preservation, and social justice for Gullah-Geechee people, who are descendants of formerly enslaved West and Central Africans.
Plantation culture still permeates Avenue of Oaks leading to Coffin Point Plantation The stunning half-mile archway of oaks leads to the imposing tabby-based plantation home built in 1801. Brick Baptist Church Built in 1855 by enslaved people for white plantation owners, it was taken over by African-Americans when all the whites fled the Civil War in 1861. Prayer houses The Eddings Point, Mary Jenkins and Coffin Point Community Praise Houses were built around 1900.They continue the practice of small places of worship built on plantations during slavery.
You won’t see these anywhere else The Lands End Light It’s there. I’ve seen it. About midnight on some nights, you can see a light floating along Lands End Road on St. Helena. Local lore is that it’s Pvt. Frank Quigley, who was shot in 1910 by a jealous husband. Pickup truck vegetable and shrimp markets As you travel around St. Helena, you’ll occasionally see a pickup truck loaded with greens, head-on shrimp, or okra. Can’t get more farm to car than that. Lands End beach It’s a quiet, locals-only spot for fishing or lazing while overlooking Parris Island and Hilton Head in the distance.
MAY 2020 + LocalLifeSC.com
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