Beaufort National Cemetery, Wall, 1601 Boundary Street, Beaufort, Beaufort County, SC

Significance: Beaufort was one of the earliest places in the country to be assigned as a National Cemetery site. Congress in the Act of July 17, 1862 authorized the President of the United States (then President Abraham Lincoln) "to purchase cemetery grounds… to be used as a national cemetery for soldiers who shall have died in the services of the country." This act enabled the President to purchase and locate cemeteries for Union Soldiers as needed without much oversight by the Congress. The Beaufort National Cemetery consisted of 28.9 acres, which were part of a 64-acre tract of land known as "Polly's Grove." This tract was acquired at a tax sale on March 11, 1863 and the Attorney General approved title of the property on March 25, 1869. The cemetery is not only significant for its association with the Civil War, but it is also important for having the remains of veterans connected to each of the major wars up to the Persian Gulf War. The cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of a multiple property submission of Civil War Era National Cemeteries in 1997 written by Therese T. Sammartino, Staff Assistant, National Cemetery System.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N19
Survey number: HALS SC-1-A
Building/structure dates: 1876 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 97001208