♪ (male singer) ♪ Oh, I have found the sweetest place ♪ ♪ where people smile and know my name.

♪ ♪ Oh, I have found the sweetest land ♪ ♪ as warm as sun and cool as rain.

♪ ♪ A place so faaarrr... from all we had, ♪ ♪ a place so far from all we've known, ♪ ♪ a quiet place that we can love ♪ ♪ and call our home.

♪♪ ♪ (Joanna Angle) This graceful collection of mellowed buildings, ancient trees, and narrow streets is the second oldest town in South Carolina, a place whose charm and tranquility belie its turbulent past.

Recorded history began here 100 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock.

Numerous national flags have flown in the skies since the first European explorers, the Spanish, came in 1521 and used this area as a major anchorage for their explorations.

French Huguenots arrived in 1562, led by Captain Jean Ribault, who declared there to be, quote, "no fairer or fitter place."

Ribault's Huguenots built a small fort, later destroyed by the Spanish, who held this area for 21 years as the capital of Florida.

Captain William Hilton raised the first English flag over nearby waters in 1663, and eight years later, the Lords Proprietors began bestowing land grants.

A Scottish settlement, called Stuart's Town, was established in 1684.

This short-lived colony was also destroyed by Spaniards two years later.

In 1710 the English decided that a seaport town should be laid out on Port Royal Island.

It was named for one of the Lords Proprietors, Henry, duke of Beaufort.

Welcome to Beaufort by the bay and to "Palmetto Places," a series that explores and celebrates South Carolina's small towns and countryside.

I'm Joanna Angle.

[birds twittering] [footfalls on pavement] Beaufort has been called "a monument to endurance."

All those early attempts at colonization ended in disaster.

In 1715 Yamassee Indians, outraged by white encroachment, killed a number of settlers and torched the fledgling town.

British gunboats invaded the bay in 1812, and during the War Between the States, the Union victory at the Battle of Port Royal Sound was so swift that Beaufort was surrendered, with little resistance, to be occupied by Federal troops for the duration of the war.

The WPA "Guide to the Palmetto State" tells of Beaufort being, quote, "overrun from 1865 to 1876 by carpetbaggers, ex-slaves, and scalawags."

It was lashed by the terrible hurricane of 1893 and sadly ravaged by the storm of 1940.

Today, Beaufort resides peacefully beside her gray and green tidal river, overseeing sailboats in the bay beyond.

Progress has touched lightly here, with modern amenities introduced so gently that the town's appearance is much like it was a century and a half ago.

The 300-acre Beaufort historic district has been designated a National Historic Landmark and includes more than 170 public and privately owned buildings.

The central business district is a thriving mix of galleries, specialty shops, and restaurants adjacent to a 7-acre waterfront park featuring a marina, playground, and amphitheater.

The revitalization of Beaufort's downtown has been coordinated by Mainstreet Beaufort U.S.A. and has become a national model for successful programs of economic development within the context of historic preservation.

[footfalls on pavement] Among Beaufort's earliest residents were seasoned planters from Barbados, indentured servants from England, tradesmen, religious dissenters, and fortune seekers.

As they prospered, their simple houses of clapboard and of tabby grew and became more elaborate.

Over the years, these houses evolved into an architectural form so distinct that the U.S. Department of the Interior has declared it a separate and unique style.

Beaufort houses are freestanding, usually on large lots, and are oriented to take advantage of prevailing breezes.

They resemble plantation houses from the Upstate but have been adapted to the Lowcountry's summer heat and humidity.

Foundation piers or arches are stucco over brick or tabby and are usually left open for ventilation.

Exterior stairways are typically centered, and roofs are low-pitched and inconspicuous.

Raised high off the ground, the Beaufort-style house is characterized by a spacious, two-story piazza which often wraps partially around the sides.

These houses are most frequently T-shaped, with central hallways and chimneys on the exterior side walls or slightly inset.

[birds twittering] Beaufort's many historic churches include Tabernacle Baptist, which was formed by black members of the Beaufort Baptist Church after other members evacuated during the Federal occupation of 1861.

The grave site and bronze bust of Robert Smalls, a former slave and the first black United States congressman from South Carolina, can be found in the churchyard.

The tabernacle's unusual windows of brilliantly colored cut glass were created by church member Mrs. Lee Myers.

Its sanctuary was the setting for our meeting with Beaufort County native and internationally acclaimed artist Jonathan Green.

I remember, uh, drawing on... um... brown paper sacks that, you know... paper bags.

That was the only material that I could get my hands on.

These things were happening before I went to school.

I was 2, 3, 4 years old when many of these things were happening.

School paper was a very, very special thing.

It was never, ever allowed to be touched outside of the school or only during one's homework time.

I felt that the brown paper was just as fascinating.

Many people I drew were brown, so it just made sense to me.

I took pleasure in removing or opening the paper, disassembling the paper bag, and making it a flat surface and drawing on it.

When I didn't have a pencil, I used a piece of coal from the stove because that made a great drawing line.

Then I remember drawing on newspapers, elaborating the picture that was on the paper, extending it beyond... the space that was allowed for the photograph.

I took great pleasures in doing that.

Probably one of the earliest... um, colorful form in terms of making things was when my grandmother, probably in the... very early '60s, maybe '61, '62, which was about the first year for elementary school for me, brought a paint-by-number set, which took her a long time to purchase.

I remember, after I got the set, her saying to other people, "I saved up all year to get this."

And it was something that was very special to her, and it was a painting of horses.

And she loved horses.

And so I painted by number the horses.

But I was bored with it.

I could not stay within the confined lines of colors.

I would go outside the lines, and I would create another picture aside from what was asked to be created by the lines.

I had no idea of the Gullah culture.

I'd never heard of the Gullah culture.

I think what happened was that I was out there painting.

I had enrolled into a school, I had a four-year degree, and I painted about things that I did.

I certainly wasn't out to chronicle the lifestyle of Geechee or Gullah people.

I was only interested in painting some of the things that I remembered because I saw it as a very, um... interesting and important time to me.

I had spent many trips over to Europe meeting the people that live away from cities, the farmers, and took great pride in what they did and how they harvest and preserve.

I felt that there isn't that much difference between people in Switzerland and people in South Carolina in terms of what they do to survive.

In reading the history of many artists, if they could paint paintings of people harvesting potatoes, or sunflowers, or making a dress or a quilt, I could do the same thing because these are experiences I experienced as a child.

The faceless people are people that I remember from my early childhood recollections.

As a child, you don't remember facial features.

As a child in my community, you're not allowed to look adults in the eyes.

It's considered a form of disrespect.

So in painting the first series of paintings that were reflective of my early childhood, I remembered faceless people because I had never really looked them in the eyes.

I never saw those faces, but I knew them because of how they were dressed, colors they wore, their shapes, their body language, maybe a bag they were carrying, because everyone is carrying a bag, a very specific bag.

They would carry it for days and months and years sometimes, until it was completely worn out.

Women wore colorful clothing when I was a kid because that's all they had.

Most of the clothing were hand-down clothing or pieces they had bought over a period of 10, 15, 20 years.

People never threw anything away.

The most important thing was to have clean clothes.

It wasn't to have the latest-fashion clothing.

And clothing back then was well-made stuff.

You could wear a dress 5 years, 10 years and not worry about it falling apart.

Also, because I come from a very, um... African-type culture where people believe in certain things, be it voodoo or, you know, uh... believed in spirits and the power of magic.

And as a child, I remember always being told that you have to wear clothing to confuse the evil gods.

The more colorful you are as a person walking in the open space, the better chances you have of not having to be attacked by evil spirits.

I'm sure many women knew this and dressed accordingly.

Color, for me, is happiness, and I think that 99% of the time I'm a very happy person.

And I don't approach color from a perspective of putting colors together in order to make something.

Colors are very magical... it comes to me.

I never think of putting green next to red...I just do it.

I reach for a color, put it on.

I make things work because... the creating part of it is... for me, no matter what color you put first and colors that follow, it has to work.

[Green sneezing] That's your part as an artist... making it work.

[no dialogue] I think the dream starts within.

The dream is to be, or to want to be, as good and decent and loving a person as you can possibly be.

That's the door.

I mean, if you do those very simplistic things, those human... things, anything is possible.

You can't hope or ask or wish for anything more than that of a decent humanitarian.

That's the start.

[waves roaring] (Angle) Just outside Beaufort, Hunting Island State Park is a secluded barrier island of semitropical beauty.

Five thousand acres of beaches, forest, and marshes offer nature study, swimming, and fishing.

Campsites and cabins are available.

A breathtaking view of the island and ocean awaits those who climb to the top of this 19th-century lighthouse, one of the few remaining on the South Atlantic coast.

This is Hunting Island's second lighthouse.

The first, built of reddish gray brick, was destroyed during the War Between the States.

In 1872, Congress authorized a second lighthouse to be erected, specifying that it should be constructed in such a manner that it could be moved if necessary.

The new lighthouse was made of cast-iron panels all the same size in each section so that they were interchangeable within their ring.

The panels varied in thickness from 1 1/2 inches at the base to 3/4 inches at the top.

Sixteen years later the high water mark was only 35 feet from the keeper's house and 135 feet from the tower.

Congress allocated $51,000 for, quote, "removal and reerection, including the purchase of a safer site," end quote.

It took workers 15 months to disassemble, move, and reassemble the Hunting Island light.

9,500 feet of tramway had to be graded and constructed.

Then the tower's cast-iron panels, weighing about 1200 pounds each, had to be disconnected.

Halfway through the project, the work party was so weakened from malaria the operation was suspended until winter.

The station was finally completed in March 1890.

Keeping the beacon flashing required special supplies.

The annual allotment included 660 gallons of mineral oil, 10 yards of wick, 36 boxes of safety matches, and 6 bottles of glycerin.

The lightkeeper also received linen towels, chamois skins, White Diamond Polish, and Bertram's Oil Polish for cleaning the light.

The light here was discontinued in June 1933.

[waves roaring] [no audio] When you come to Beaufort, bring your appetite.

One popular local dish is Beaufort Stew, or Lowcountry Boil, prepared here by caterer Steve Brown of Broad River Seafood.

Good morning...

I'm Steve Brown from Beaufort.

I'm here to show you about a Lowcountry supper, Frogmore Stew from the Sea Islands, from Beaufort, and the surrounding areas.

This morning we have a 21-, 25-count shrimp to a pound.

You can buy this at your supermarket.

We have regular sausage, and this particular one is Hillshire sausage; fresh white and yellow corn... use either or both; and celery and onions that have been chopped about three-quarters of an inch thick.

Ready to go... this is one of the simplest Lowcountry meals.

It was many years ago with the shrimp nets.

Everybody had nets, lived on the water on the islands.

They needed a simple meal.

They had chickens and hogs runnin' around.

They had sausage, had fresh corn.

This meal developed over a hundred years ago in the Lowcountry, and they've been eatin' it ever since.

I'm gonna show you how you do this at home.

It's very easy... you do it on your stove.

It's a simple dish.

Start with a big pot of boilin' water.

Measure your shrimp according to how many people you have eating and corn and sausage depending on how much you want.

I've got a big pot, bigger than you would naturally have.

We're here with beautiful water behind us.

We wanted to be outside with the beautiful atmosphere.

I have a boiling pot of water, and I've used chicken base in the water because years ago chickens were used just to give us a base to get started.

One of the main ingredients when you're doin' Frogmore Stew is Old Bay Seasoning.

Now, that is measured according to your need.

I need about... oh, I'd say, a good pint in mine today when I'm cookin' for you.

You won't need but a couple of big tablespoons, maybe 3, depending on how spicy you want it.

All right, now...

I've got boilin' water, chicken base, and Old Bay in my pot.

The water is at a roaring boil.

The very first thing I want to do... is... take my... celery and onion... [vegetables clonking on plate] uh, like this, and...

I take it right into the pot.

I'll get us some corn... and I've got white corn and yellow corn, okay?

Now, stir that with your boiling water.

Go ahead and stir it good...get it goin'.

Remember...you want to cover your pot then if you can.

I'm gonna stir, and I'm gonna cover my pot.

[lid clanking] Let that corn cook for about 10 minutes-- you know how long it takes at home, about 10 minutes-- with the celery and onion and spices until that corn gets done.

Now I'm gonna put my sausage in.

[sausage clonking on plate] Okay?

Now, while I'm doin' this, I've got my shrimp ready.

I'm gonna put a little bit more.

We're gonna need a little more.

Okay... there we go.

I'm gonna stir that again good.

What happens is, the sausage cooks, the corn, Old Bay Seasoning, juices and fat from the sausage comes out into the water.

And you have chicken base, so you've got a real base developed for the shrimp, and that's the key.

Chicken base and starting it off with Old Bay Seasoning, and that gives you-- the fat coming out of that sausage gives you your flavor.

The very next thing we're gonna put in there is shrimp... goin' in the pot.

Now, these shrimp... very important that you do not overcook shrimp.

People have a tendency to cook things too much, one of the things bein' seafood.

A lot of seafood today is overcooked... fish fillets are overcooked, shrimp is overcooked.

It takes about three minutes at a roaring boil to cook a big shrimp like this.

If you've got these in the pot for 10 or 15 minutes, you've overcooked 'em.

So let's-- here they go in.

One of the things down in this area-- of course, this became a big meal down here.

My father was born and raised here, so this is what we ate as a meal on Friday and Saturday nights.

Three minutes have passed.

Now, I cook to eye.

So, I cook according to...

I don't use time anymore.

There we go.

I'm gonna grab a big cloth right here.

Look at that shrimp, corn, and sausage.

Isn't that pretty?

Let's bring it over here... and I'm gonna dump it.

Now, years ago what they had was big tables with newspaper on 'em.

They'd go outside and spread out newspaper and dump it on the table when it got done.

I'm gonna just dump it right here into the seashell.

And that's what Frogmore Stew, Lowcountry supper, and Beaufort Stew looks like.

It's a beautiful, colorful meal... hope you enjoy.

(Angle) One of the most hauntingly lovely places in all of South Carolina can be found 15 miles from Beaufort.

These are the ruins of Prince William's Parish Church, more commonly called Sheldon Church.

This ghostly site is a vivid reminder that the serene Lowcountry has often been a bloody battleground.

The first church here was built between 1745 and 1755 in the form of a Greek temple, probably the earliest use of this style in America.

Governor William Bull, who was active in both proprietary and royal governments, was a guiding force in the construction.

The congregation elected to call the church Sheldon after the Bull family's nearby plantation and their ancestral home in England, both named Sheldon Hall.

The church served as a political and military center during the Revolutionary War.

Arms and ammunition were hidden in the Bull family vault, and the Continental troops drilled here.

That first church was burned by the British in May 1779.

It was rebuilt in 1826 but burned again, this time by General Sherman's 15th Corps on January 14, 1865.

What remains-- these walls and columns of carefully molded brick-- is awe inspiring for the grace and proportion, the classic simplicity of the original design.

[birds chirping] Since 1925, memorial services have been held here annually on the second Sunday after Easter.

We're glad that you could be with us for our visit to Beaufort and hope you can join us again for "Palmetto Places."

Until then, I'm Joanna Angle, inviting you to discover South Carolina... smiling faces, beautiful places.

Program captioned by: CompuScripts Captioning, Inc. 803.988.8438 ♪ (female singer) ♪ And here we live, ♪ ♪ within this land ♪ ♪ of mountains' edge and ocean's shore.

♪ ♪ A land of strength... a land of grace... ♪ ♪ of men and women gone before.

♪ ♪ So many smiling faces here, ♪ ♪ so many memories still to come.

♪ ♪ Beautiful places we hold dear ♪ ♪ in this our home.

♪ (choir joins) ♪ South Carolina, always near... ♪ ♪ and always hooommmme.... ♪♪ ♪