Two Southern small towns share the name Beaufort. The towns spell the name exactly the same, which is why people mix them up all the time (much to the chagrin of local residents). However, these two towns are not the same place, and not even in the same state. Despite the written similarity of their shared moniker, and despite both being named for Henry Somerset, the Duke of Beaufort, they're not pronounced the same way, either. Here’s how I learned the difference. Back when I was in academia, I gave a talk at the University of Pennsylvania and I met an elderly professor who was retiring to Beaufort. He pronounced the town BEW-furd. Thinking of Beaufort, North Carolina, and not wanting him to be embarrassed by the locals, I corrected the professor, “It is pronounced BOW-firt.” And he responded with, “Not in South Carolina.” And he was right. Turns out it was me who was embarrassed. I set out to rectify my ignorance. Seeing as I live along the Crystal Coast in North Carolina and not in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, the knowledge I am sharing with you will be about BOW-firt. A fishing village and port of safety dating from the late 1600s, Beaufort, NC was originally called Fishtowne because fishing was the dominant industry. In 1713, after obtaining permission from the Lords Proprietors, Robert Turner, then owner of the 780-acre land patent, hired deputy surveyor Richard Graves to lay out a 100-acre town, with 106 lots for sale. The words, ‘Plan of Hungry Towne’ were inscribed on the original plat. In short order, however, ‘Hungry Town’ was crossed out at the bottom of the plat and replaced with ‘Plan of Beaufort Towne.’ Streets named after famous living people reflect the early development of the town: Ann Street for Queen Anne; Craven Street for the Earl of Craven; Turner Street for Robert Turner, owner of the land that was surveyed for the town; Pollock Street for Gov. Thomas Pollock; and Orange Street for William, Prince of Orange, who became William III of England. In 1723, Beaufort became the fourth town to incorporate in North Carolina and it also became the seat of government for Carteret County. Over the ensuing 250 years, Beaufort’s reputation as a successful port town grew, thanks to its backbone economy of lumber, fishing, whaling, and naval businesses. Although productive, the town, itself, remained somewhat small because, unlike its larger sister port in Wilmington, Beaufort lacked rail and highway access to major cities. And that is a good thing. About 50 years ago, vacationers to the Crystal Coast were attracted to Beaufort’s old-world, southern charm, steeped in maritime history and adventure. Many of the homes that were built in the 1700s and 1800s still stood in Beaufort – a rarity considering that other southern towns were ravaged during the Civil War – and Beaufort retained its small town feel. Boats dot the waterfront from private yachts and massive sailboats to trawlers bringing in the ‘catch of the day.’ And by the 21st Century, this hopping port town was also a hopping vacation destination. Beaufort was named “America’s Coolest Small Town” by Budget Travel Magazine, ‘South’s Best Small Town’ by Southern Living, “Best Yachting Town’ by Yachting Magazine and was heralded by other travel publications / news outlets including Coastal Living Magazine and CNN. I recommend you include Beaufort in your next Crystal Coast travel plans. Explore the many whimsical shops, sample casual to world-class dining, view sunsets over the water and soak up some Crystal Coast nautical history along the way.
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