Beaufort
Cuthbert House Inn
A c. 1811 Federal house facing the Beaufort River; Union Gen. Rufus Saxton bought it at a tax auction in 1863 and hosted Sherman here in 1865.
- Built
- c. 1811SCDAH: built ca. 1811 for John A. Cuthbert's marriage to Mary B. Williamson. The inn says the house was built in 1790 three blocks inland and moved to Bay Street in 1810. Late-19th-century additions by Col. Duncan Wilson.
- Style
- Federal, with Victorian alterations
- Type
- Inn
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Inside a National Register historic district
The story
The Federal-style house faces the Beaufort River on Bay Street with a double-tiered Tuscan portico. During the Civil War it became the headquarters of Union Gen. Rufus Saxton, who bought it at a tax auction in 1863 and hosted Gen. William T. Sherman there in 1865; soldiers’ names remain etched in a fireplace. Col. Duncan Wilson later added bay windows, Victorian trim and porches. It reopened in May 2024 after an extensive renovation.
Good to know
- Address: 1203 Bay Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.