Bluffton: fire-eaters and eccentrics
Early Days (1800s–1850s)
Bluffton began as a small summer retreat for Lowcountry rice and cotton planters seeking relief from heat and malaria. The town developed on two adjoining parcels in the Devil’s Elbow Barony, purchased by Benjamin Walls and James Kirk. Early homes were built in the 1800s, and by the 1830s the first streets were laid out. Originally called Kirk’s Bluff, the town was renamed Bluffton in the early 1840s as a compromise between the Kirk and Pope families.
In the 1840s, Bluffton became a center of political activism. Local planters gathered beneath an oak tree, now known as the Secession Oak, to protest the federal tariff of 1842. Robert Barnwell Rhett’s fiery speeches inspired what became known as the Bluffton Movement, a radical states’ rights faction of “fire eaters.” On July 31, 1844, more than 500 attendees gathered for a political dinner where Rhett called for a state convention and compared their cause to the American Revolution. These activists became known as the Bluffton Boys.
By the 1850s, Bluffton had grown into a small commercial hub. A steamboat landing was built at the end of Calhoun Street, making Bluffton a stopover between Savannah and Beaufort. The Church of the Cross, designed by Edward Brickell White, was completed in 1857 for a congregation of up to 600.
Bluffton was officially incorporated in 1852 as a one-square-mile summer village overlooking the May River, a tidal estuary with no freshwater source.
Civil War and Destruction (1861–1865)
During the Civil War, Confederate Brig. Gen. Thomas F. Drayton oversaw the evacuation of rebel forces from Hilton Head Island to Bluffton. Rebel lookouts used the town’s high bluff to monitor Union activity.
On June 4, 1863, Union Gen. David Hunter ordered Bluffton burned. Roughly two-thirds of the town was destroyed, leaving only two churches and 15 homes standing. Most antebellum buildings were lost, which explains Bluffton’s limited surviving prewar architecture today.
Rebuilding (1870s–1900)
Reconstruction was slow, as many former landowners could no longer afford summer homes. A more substantial rebuilding period began in the 1880s, and Bluffton gradually re-established itself as a quiet river village.
Old Town Bluffton eventually earned a National Historic District designation, recognizing 54 historic structures that survived or were rebuilt after the war.
Pre-Bridge Era (1900–1956)
For decades, Bluffton remained a sleepy May River community. Families from Savannah and inland South Carolina vacationed in summer cottages. Life centered around fishing, crabbing, shrimping and river recreation.
Bluffton’s eccentric spirit was already part of its identity. Edith Inglesby likely coined the phrase “state of mind” in her book Corner of Carolina long before it was adopted more widely.
The Bridge and the Rise of “Bluffton Eccentricity” (1956–1980s)
The first bridge to Hilton Head Island opened in 1956, transforming the region. As Hilton Head’s development surged in the 1970s, Bluffton residents embraced their quieter lifestyle and proudly displayed “Bluffton is a State of Mind” bumper stickers.
In the early 1970s, Moss Creek Plantation was marketed as a private, nonresort community. Rose Hill Plantation followed in 1980, when Toronto developers John and David Welton began developing the community.
Bluffton’s first newspaper, The Bluffton Eccentric (1987–1991), was published by Graham Bullock, who promoted a town motto as “It’s a Bluffton State of Mind.” Palmetto State Bank knew a good thing when it happened and began giving out “I’m a Bluffton Eccentric” bumper stickers.
Annexations began in 1987, expanding Bluffton far beyond its original one-square-mile footprint.
Modern Development Boom (1990s–Present)
The early 1990s brought rapid growth. Upscale golf communities such as Colleton River Plantation, Spring Island and Belfair were developed and sold quickly. When Del Webb purchased land in 1994, population growth accelerated dramatically.
Today, Bluffton is one of the fastest-growing towns in the United States, surrounded by miles of new neighborhoods, apartments and businesses. Its historic district remains small and charming, with moss-draped oaks, azaleas and camellias along a new riverside park, another beautiful park with a playground near the historic Heyward House, preserved architecture, artsy shops and restaurants, often offering live music in the afternoons and evenings. Bluffton’s eccentric, Carpe Diem personality is central to its charm
Bluffton Today
What began as a tiny summer refuge has become a thriving, eclectic community. Despite its explosive growth, Bluffton still holds onto its identity: creative, relaxed, river-centered and proudly eccentric. There are only two grandfathered billboards; green spaces and green buffer zones are included in development planning, and neon and tall buildings are nonexistent.
In every era, Bluffton has remained exactly what its motto promises: A Bluffton State of Mind.
Tamela is a proofreader and book editor; she hosts paint parties for adults, art and drama camp for kids, and is the art teacher at May River Montessori. www.tamelamaxim.com www.artposseproductions.com
