Beaufort Attractions
 People come
from far and wide to see the
Beaufort Historic Site, a 2-acre area
with seven beautifully restored buildings in the center of town.
Cared for by the Beaufort Historical Association, the site
annually hosts nearly 50,000 visitors, who tour the buildings and
participate in the tours, classes, workshops and historical
re-enactments scheduled throughout the year. This site, along with
the Beaufort waterfront, is what makes this little sea port so
special and appealing.
 Before you
begin to look around, go to the Robert W. and Elva Faison
Safrit Historical Center at 130 Turner Street. The center
welcomes and orients visitors to the historic site with free
exhibits, video presentations and demonstrations. If you decide to
take any of the tours that charge a fee, the Historical Center is
where you pay and meet the tour guide. The Old Beaufort Museum
Gift Shop is also here as well as loads of information about the town of
Beaufort and other not-to-be-missed attractions. The center is
open Monday through Saturday 9:30 AM to 5 PM March through
November and 10 AM to 4 PM December through February. After a
visit to the Safrit Historical Center, we guarantee you'll want to
spend a few more days in town.
Preservation
efforts have kept Old Beaufort much as it was when the town was
incorporated in 1723. Most of the restored buildings you see were
moved to the historic site from other locations in town. These
moves were necessitated in many cases by property owners who were
ready to tear down an old structure to build a new one. So
visitors can get the most out of their tour, BHA has restored and
preserved the buildings as authentically as possible. The
collections and furnishings help interpret a particular period in
the building’s history. Guided walking tours of the buildings
(we describe some of them here) are conducted four times a day
Monday through Saturday year round for $6 per adult and $4 for
children.
Josiah
Bell House is the large yellow house with side gardens that is
often photographed to represent the site. Built between 1790 and
the early 1800s and purchased by Josiah Bell in 1842, its interior
reflects the opulent Victorian era.
Samuel
Leffers Cottage, c.1778, was once the schoolmaster's house. It
is furnished in a primitive style and features a distinctive
Beaufort-type roof line.
The Bell/Manson House was the
first building purchased by the Beaufort Historical Association in
the 1960s. Currently
undergoing a major restoration project, the house will soon reopen
for tours as an example of the Federal Period in Beaufort.
The Carteret
County Courthouse of 1796 has been completely restored to its
original condition. It is the only 18th-century framed courthouse
of its size in North Carolina that has been restored or is in a
condition which would allow restoration. The courthouse serves as
an invaluable educational tool, according to BHA staff, helping
show the transformation of the legal system in North Carolina. The
authentic preservation project won several local, state and
national awards.
Old County
Jail, c.1829, has two cells and jail keeper's quarters, which
were in use until 1954. There is a museum room in one of the
cells. The Apothecary Shop and Doctor's Office,
c.1859, features a fascinating collection of medical instruments
and memorabilia from the county’s early doctors and dentists.
R. Rustell
House, c.1732, is home to the Mattie King Davis Art Gallery.
In its time, the building was a typical Beaufort cottage and was
owned by prominent early citizen Richard Rustell Jr. The gallery
operates year round and represents more than 100 local and
regional artists.
After touring
the historic site, hop on the vintage English double-decker bus
for a terrific narrated tour of Beaufort's historic district (an
area much larger than the historic site). The tour comes complete
with stories about town residents who colored local history. Bus
tours depart the historic site on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and
Saturday, April through October. Bus tour fees are $6 for adults
and $4 for kids. Reservations must be made for group tours.
Don't miss
the Old Burying Ground, the cemetery on Ann Street, which
dates from 1731. BHA gives narrated tours of the grounds Tuesday
and Thursday (check fees for adults and children), June
through September. But you may take the tour on your own, using a
map available at the Safrit Historical Center.
 In
addition to these activities, the Beaufort Historical
Association conducts the fabulous annual Beaufort Old Homes Tour
during the last full weekend in June. Activities include tours of private and
association-owned homes and gardens, musical performances, an
antiques show and sale, military re-enactments and more.
In case you
decide you just can't leave, you may volunteer for a multitude of
involvements in coastal history at the Beaufort Historic Site. The Beaufort Historical Association is
a nonprofit organization dedicated to research, education and the
preservation of Carteret County's significant history. Memberships
are welcomed.
North
Carolina Maritime Museum
315 Front St., Beaufort
(252) 728-7317
The North
Carolina Maritime Museum’s mission is to preserve and interpret
all aspects of the state’s rich maritime heritage through
educational exhibits, programs and field trips. Exhibits and
programming focus on North Carolina’s maritime history and
coastal natural history.
The museum is
located at 315 Front Street in Beaufort in an area immediately
adjacent to shops, restaurants and the boardwalk along Taylors
Creek. The 18,000-square-foot building is constructed of wood, and
some of its design features resemble those of the early
life-saving stations that were prevalent along the Carolina coast.
Public areas, in addition to the exhibit hall, include an
auditorium, reference library and museum store.
 In the Harvey W.
Smith Watercraft Center, located directly across the street,
visitors can watch boat restoration and construction from a
platform above the boat shop floor. In the John S. MacCormack
Model Shop, builders construct scale models of a variety of
vessels. Classes in
boat-building skills are offered for novices and experienced
woodworkers alike. Topics include: lofting, boatbuilding
carpentry, boat modeling for children, diesel maintenance,
plane making and others. Class size is limited, and all tools and
materials are provided. Classes
are generally offered on the weekends.
Museum exhibits
include Coastal Marine Life, North
Carolina’s Working Watercraft, U.S. Lifesaving Service and
Commercial Fishing. Displayed
are a typical 1950s outboard motor shop and outboards, ship
models, fossil and shell collections, an observation bell, coastal
plant and animal life exhibits, indigenous watercraft and more.
The museum’s library is available for reading and research.
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