Up ahead, look for a grand, tan-colored house with a double staircase leading to a striking front porch, tall white columns, and black shutters set among old oak trees-yep, that’s the Tabby Manse right in front of you!
Alright, take a moment to imagine the year is 1786. Beaufort’s bustling with the cries of seabirds and the salty tang of marsh air blowing in from the coast. And here stands the Tabby Manse, or as it was first called, the Fuller mansion-a rare marvel of early American craftsmanship with two-foot-thick walls made from tabby, an old-school mixture of oyster shells and lime that makes this place practically hurricane-proof... and maybe party-proof, too! The outside is carefully scored-you can see how it almost looks like big stone blocks-but it’s really oyster shells holding up centuries of Lowcountry stories.
Now picture this scene inside: Thomas Fuller, a successful rice and cotton planter, bustles around putting last-minute touches on the home he’s built as a wedding gift for his bride, Elizabeth Middleton. Not just any bride, either-Elizabeth could practically start her own version of “Who’s Who in Colonial South Carolina.” Her ancestors include John "Tuscarora Jack" Barnwell, famous for his battles with Native Americans, and her cousin, Arthur Middleton, who would later sign the Declaration of Independence! So, having a family reunion here might require a really long dining table.
The halls would echo with the footsteps of twelve lively Fuller children, including Dr. Thomas Jr., a physician, and Dr. Richard Fuller, a Baptist minister who became so famous he helped launch the entire Southern Baptist Convention. Just imagine Sunday dinners here, laughter bouncing off longleaf pine and cypress paneling.
But then, in 1861, everything changed with the thunder of cannons across Port Royal Sound. As the Civil War arrived, the Federal Army swept through Beaufort, and the Fullers were forced to leave their beloved home behind. Soon after, a Methodist minister named Mansfield French took up residence, determined to care for the besieged and newly freed slaves. Reverend French turned the house into a refuge-and when it came up for auction after the war, he made it his own. But let’s just say politics wasn’t always kind to the French family. Rev. French hoped to be South Carolina’s first Reconstruction senator, but Beaufort’s ghosts had other plans.
Still, the story doesn’t end there-this house is nothing if not full of surprises! The French family’s resourceful women-Emmeline Morrill, her sister Almira, and their nieces-opened Tabby Manse as a guest house, and from the 1870s, it saw nearly a century of travelers, stories, and-perhaps-a ghost or two checking in.
During the 1930s, novelist Francis Griswold took up residence and penned “A Sea Island Lady” here. He described the very heart of this home and its wooden ballrooms, elegant mantels, and broad porches, which still offer glimpses of glinting river water and the occasional playful breeze. Now, if you feel a little literary inspiration spark as you stand here, you’re in good company!
The house has only swapped hands among three families in nearly 200 years. The Trask family, who restored the place in the 1970s, modernized the kitchen but left its warm, symmetrical soul untouched-so even now, every room still mirrors its twin, in true Palladian fashion. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and sits as a proud pillar of Beaufort’s Historic District.
So as you look up at those stately columns, take a deep breath and listen-maybe, just maybe, you’ll hear the echoes of a grand ball, the hopeful whisper of new beginnings, or the determined stride of history’s many caretakers. And if you get inspired to build your own home out of oyster shells, well, I’m not sure it’ll stand quite like this, but it’s worth a try!
