Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens provides a rare view
Beaufort harbors a rich repository of 18th and 19th Century houses with a remarkable architectural variety. Every October during the Historic Beaufort Foundation’s Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens, visitors are invited to explore Beaufort from a rare vantage point: a selection of private homes , gardens, and plantations normally not open to the public welcomes visitors inside. The houses represent three centuries of Beaufort architecture for which the city is justly famous. These self-paced walking tours offer a distinctive opportunity to observe how contemporary lifestyles are lived within the frame work of our unmatched architectural heritage.
Three different amazing tours are offered during the Fall Festival.
The Walking Tour, Friday, October 27th
A late afternoon stroll is a favorite way to see Beaufort. This perennially popular tour includes private houses in the city’s National Historic Landmark District, the state’s largest. The private homes open to represent the variety of architectural styles built in the city over the past 200 years. Among those on tour are several houses on the bluff including the Hattie Ford House, c. 1890, the Prioleau House, c. 1892 and the Verdier House, c. 1804, which is Historic Beaufort Foundation’s house museum.
Ramble Around Beaufort, Saturday, October 28th
This tour is a combination of houses that give visitors a clear picture of the various historic buildings that together weave the tapestry of the Lowcountry’s architectural styles from simple…to grand, from houses in the city to country retreats and plantations. Among the six properties along the tour are the newly restored McGrath-Scheper House on Port Republic Street, Cassena, c. 1815 and two neighboring houses in Beaufort’s beautiful and historic Point neighborhood.
Rarely open for the tour is Frogmore Manor, one of St. Helena Island’s plantation homes. Also, the York Bailey Museum at Penn Center will be open for tour visitors by special arrangement.
Kitchens & Cuisine, Sunday, October 29th
Experience culinary Beaufort. Local chefs will create regional specialties in private kitchens in houses on Cat Island and in Habersham. Five chefs, five houses. A fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Attendees can also ‘wine down’ at the end of the tour on Sunday with a hand-picked selection of of wines in a private historic garden.
Since tickets are limited to the capacity of the houses, advanced reservations are recommended. To order tickets for any of the tours during the Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens, call Historic Beaufort Foundation at 843-379-3331 or visit them at www.HistoricBeaufort.org
*Source: Historic Beaufort Foundation