Even 20 years after serving as the setting for the Baby Boomer classic film The Big Chill, Beaufort continues to attract people longing for a connection to the past and piece of mind that only a town like Beaufort can provide.
The almost magnetic draw the town seems to have on people is one of the main
reasons Beaufort County is already home to more people of retirement age than
any other county in South Carolina – about 12 percent of the total population
in the coastal county is over 65, and that number is steadily rising.
Between the mild year-round climate, beautiful historic setting and easy going
small town Southern lifestyle, the draw to the area is obvious to retirees and
younger residents alike. Beaufort is such a beautiful and accommodating place
in fact, the motion picture industry has made Beaufort its first choice as the
archetypal Southern burg. In addition to the pivotal role the town played in
The Big Chill, the town’s historic buildings and scenic backdrops were
used in exterior shots in The Great Santini, Prince of Tides, GI Jane
and Forest Gump.
As much of what draws people to the area is the beauty, there is so much more to Beaufort that keeps people there. Long known as a sportsman’s paradise, Beaufort offers worldclass boating and fishing, is in close proximity to some of the finest golf courses in the world, and has some of the best hiking in the region on Huntington Island State Park. For those more inclined to urban pursuits, Hilton Head Island and Savannah are both short drives away, and Charleston can be reached in a little over an hour.
The sleepy town has a rich history dating back to Columbus – over 500 years. Found amongst the marshes, tidal pools and fresh water creeks are the tabby ruins of Spanish explorers, and the ruins of armaments erected later to protect early English colonists against the Spanish.
The acres around Beaufort is scattered with plantation grounds, many of which still stand defiantly, over 140 years after Sherman’s troops burned much of the South to the ground. Downtown Beaufort falls under strict preservation guidelines maintaining the dignity and integrity of the antebellum mansions that grace its narrow streets. The historic district is one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in South Carolina.
