Bluffton SC Directions Photograph by Lisa Wooten

137

172

347

Bluffton SC Directions

by Lisa Wooten

Canvas Print

$73

Framed Print

$82

Art Print

$28

Poster

$28

Metal Print

$79

Acrylic Print

$87

Wood Print

$59

Tapestry

$44

Throw Pillow

$29

Fleece Blanket

$49

Duvet Cover

$105

Shower Curtain

$69

Bath Towel

$36

Ornament

$11

Jigsaw Puzzle

$40

Tote Bag

$29

Weekender Tote Bag

$44

Zip Pouch

$26

Portable Battery Charger

$48

Yoga Mat

$61

Greeting Card

$5.20

Spiral Notebook

$16

Sticker

$4.00

iPhone Case

$28

Beach Towel

$36

Round Beach Towel

$71

Weekender Tote Bag

$44

Coffee Mug

$15

Men's Clothing

$29

Women's Clothing

$29

Youth Clothing

$25

Toddler Clothing

$23

Baby Clothing

$27

Title

Bluffton SC Directions

Artist

Lisa Wooten

Medium

Photograph - Photographs

Description

Purchased: 2020x2, 2022 2023

Featured: South Carolina Artists 5/2/2017

Bluffton is a Lowcountry town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is primarily located around U.S. Route 278, between Hilton Head Island and Interstate 95. The town's original one square mile area, now known as Old Town, is situated on a bluff along the May River. The population was counted by the 2010 census at 12,893.[2] Bluffton is the fastest growing municipality in South Carolina with a population over 2,500, growing 882.7% between the 2000 and 2010 census.[3] Bluffton is the fifth largest municipality in South Carolina by land area.[4] The town is a primary city within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bluffton is known for its eclectic Old Town district and natural views of the May River. It has been called "the last true coastal village of the South."[5][6]
Following the Tariff of 1842, Bluffton became a hotbed of separatist sentiment. In 1844 the Bluffton Movement, a protest against federal taxes, gave birth to the secession movement and led South Carolina to be the first state to leave the Union. In the antebellum period Bluffton became a popular location for wealthy merchants and plantation owners. During the Civil War two-thirds of the town was destroyed by fire during the Union's Bluffton Expedition on June 4, 1863.[7]
Contents [show]
History[edit]
Main article: History of Bluffton, South Carolina
Colonial era (1670�1776)[edit]
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the area comprising southern Beaufort County was known as Granville County of St. Luke's Parish. The Yamasee people were invited to settle in the area by Lord Cardoss, leader of the nearby Scottish settlement in Beaufort. The Yamasee established ten towns with over 1,200 inhabitants in the area. In 1715, the Yamasee War broke out, and after several years of fighting, the Yamasee migrated to Florida, opening the "Indian Lands" to European settlement. In 1718, the Lords Proprietors carved the area into several new baronies, including the Devil's Elbow Barony that contained the future town of Bluffton. The first titled owner of the land was the Barbadian planter Sir John Colleton. Following the departure of the Yamasee people, colonists began building plantations in the Bluffton area in 1728. The Colletons prospered by growing cotton, corn and indigo.[8]
American Revolution (1776�1785)[edit]
Before his death in 1776, Sir John Colleton (grandson of the original owner) developed plantations near Victoria Bluff - Foot Point areas and later disposed of much of his barony, much of it bought by the Rose and Kirk families.[8] These plantations were destroyed by the British under General Pr�vost in 1779.[9] During the 18th century, much of the land south of the May River (now known as Palmetto Bluff) was covered with rice fields.[10] Rice became a lucrative crop and a part of lowcountry culture until the early 20th century when it was disrupted by a series of devastating storms.[11]
Antebellum era (1785�1861)[edit]

Church of the Cross

This 350- to 400-year-old tree at Stock Farm in Bluffton is known as the "Secession Oak", the location where Robert Rhett called for the South to withdraw from the Union in 1844.[12]
The town of Bluffton was eventually built on two adjoining parcels in the Devil's Elbow Barony purchased by Benjamin Walls and James Kirk. The first homes were constructed during the early 1800s by area plantation owners seeking the high ground and cool river breezes as an escape from the unhealthy conditions present on Lowcountry rice and cotton plantations. Easy access by water provided more incentive for expansion, and the many tidal coves afforded excellent locations for residences. The community was originally known as "Kirk's Landing" or "Kirk's Bluff" as shown in Mill's Atlas of 1825. The first streets were formally laid out during the 1830s and the name of Bluffton decided upon in the early 1840s as a compromise between the Kirk and Pope families.
The first South Carolina secession movement began under what is now known as the Secession Oak tree, led by R. Barnwell Rhett on July 31, 1844. In the 1850s a steamboat landing was built at the end of Calhoun Street, and Bluffton became the commercial center of southern Beaufort County as a stopover for travelers between Savannah and Beaufort. In 1852 the town was officially incorporated by an act of the South Carolina General Assembly and comprised approximately one square mile. The iconic Church of the Cross was designed by architect Edward Brickell White to seat up to 600 parishioners at a cost of $5,000, and construction began in 1854. On July 17, 1857, the first services were held at the Church of the Cross.[13]
Civil War (1861�1865)[edit]
After a Union victory at the Battle of Port Royal on November 7, 1861, Confederate Brigadier-General Thomas F. Drayton directed the evacuation of rebel forces from Hilton Head Island to the Bluffton mainland. Occupying Port Royal Harbor, the Union's South Atlantic Blockading Squadron could then be monitored from rebel lookouts dispersed from Bluffton's substantial picket headquarters. Bluffton's location resulted in it being the only strategic position on the East Coast where the Confederates could gather direct intelligence on the Union squadron, which was conducting crucial blockade operations along the southern coastline. In late May 1863, Major-General David Hunter, Commander of the Department of the South, ordered the destruction of Bluffton by fire. The Union "Expedition against Bluffton" was carried out on June 4, 1863, destroying approximately two-thirds of the town's estimated 60 structures.[7] Only the town's two churches and fifteen residences remained standing after the attack. Presently eight antebellum homes and two churches exist in Old Town, highlighting the town's now popular nationally registered historic district.
Postbellum era (1865�1945)[edit]

Child labor at Varn & Platt Canning Company in Bluffton, 1913. Photo by Lewis Hine.
Rebuilding came slowly, as few local landowners could still afford the luxury of a summer home in Bluffton. The town did not experience a true rebuilding until the 1880s, when it emerged as a commercial center for Beaufort County.
Contemporary era (1945�present)[edit]
Bluffton remained a commercial center until Coastal Highway (US 17) and the bridge at Port Wentworth over the Savannah River were completed, making riverboat trade and travel less attractive. The Great Depression, beginning shortly thereafter, brought the closure of the town's prosperity and commercial importance. The popularity of Bluffton as a vacation spot remained even after its loss of commercial stature. The development of Hilton Head Island, nearby Sun City, and related development in the 1990s caused a resurgence of commercial activity in the town. In 1996 Bluffton was designated a National Historic District with 46 contributing buildings and 2 contributing sites. In 1998 the Heyward House opened to the public by the Bluffton Historical Preservation Society. In 1999 the Heyward House was part of the Save America's Treasures program. The Heyward House became the town's welcome center in 2000, and the Old Town Bluffton historic district was established through zoning regulations and architectural standards. In 2005, Bluffton was recognized as a Preserve America Community, a federal program that encourages community efforts to preserve the nation's cultural and historical assets.
Altamaha Town, Bluffton Historic District, Church of the Cross, and Rose Hill Plantation House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[14]
Geography[edit]

Map showing Bluffton, May River, and New River
Bluffton was once mostly wetlands, many of which were drained possibly during the antebellum era. Agriculture and pine timber harvesting contributed to the landscape still present today. The town proper consists of five primary areas. The historic district of Old Town, on the northern bluff of the May River; Palmetto Bluff, located on the southern side of the May River; Jones Estate, situated along the New River; Buckwalter, located on the northwest side of town; and Shultz Tract, north of Old Town. The May River winds through the center of town. The New River forms the southwest boundary of the town.
Topography[edit]
The town of Bluffton has a total area of 54 square miles (141 km2), of which 52.2 square miles (135.3 km2) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) is water. Bluffton is the fifth largest municipality in South Carolina by land area.[4] The municipal boundary contains many large "doughnut holes" of unincorporated territory due to South Carolina's strict annexation laws. Most of Bluffton was undeveloped land until the housing boom of the early 2000s, which led to explosive growth in Bluffton's area. Many of Bluffton's planned unit developments were built during this time. As of 2012 many of these developments remain only partially complete due to the economic downturn.
Climate[edit]
Bluffton has a humid subtropical climate (K�ppen Cfa), with very mild winters, hot, humid summers, and significant rainfall all year long. August is the wettest month; almost half of the annual rainfall occurs during the summer months in the form of thundershowers. Fall remains relatively warm through November. Winter is short and mild, and is characterized by occasional rain. Snow flurries rarely occur. The highest temperature recorded was 107 �F (42 �C), in 1986, and the lowest temperature recorded was 4 �F (−16 �C) on January 21, 1985.[15] Hurricanes are a major threat to the area during the summer and early fall but there has not been a major hurricane event in Bluffton since the Category 3 Sea Islands Hurricane in 1893. Wikipedia