Bluffton Historic District

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

From the record

“The Bluffton Historic District, located in the town of Bluffton, South Carolina, is important due to its position as the commercial hub of southern Beaufort County from 1880-1930. The area includes 46 buildings of residential and commercial architecture, two landscape features that contribute to the district's historic character, and 17 buildings that do not contribute.”
Wikipedia article Bluffton Historic District, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 62 National Register listings published here for Beaufort County · listed in 1996 · category: District.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

Address. Roughly bounded by the May River, Huger Cove, and Bridge St., Bluffton, 29910
When was it listed? June 1996
Category. district
Census division. Bluffton
National Register reference number. 96000686 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

88 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 88 fires within 5 miles of Bluffton Historic District between 1992 and 2020, burning about 716 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 13 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	42
Debris and open burning	19
Arson/incendiarism	13
Misuse of fire by a minor	12
Recreation and ceremony	1
Natural	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
7 August 1993	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	12 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
7 August 1993	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	40 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
6 August 1993	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	149 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
3 August 2002	Misuse of fire by a minor	1.0 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
23 August 1993	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
16 August 2001	Natural	10 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
31 July 1996	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	2.0 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named
3 July 1996	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1.0 acres	South Carolina Forestry Commission	not named

Every fire recorded in Beaufort County

Mines and quarries near this property

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Bluffton Historic District: 1 past producer. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where	Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
	Cleckley Number 5	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer	Sedimentary

Every working recorded in Beaufort County

Storms near this property

60 of 112 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Bluffton, the town this property stands in, in 112 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 59 thunderstorm wind, 26 hail, 12 lightning, 7 flash flood. The reports record 4 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	2 hurt	Trees down. A couple suffered minor injuries when a tree fell on their car.
August 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	1 hurt	A fire department reported one tree down and on a car near the intersection of Highway 46 and Rose DHU Creek Plantation. One person was injured. Extent of injuries unknown.
June 1998	Lightning	Bluffton	1 hurt	A 62 year old man was struck by lightning while standing under a tree.
April 2010	Tornado (EF0)	Bluffton	$40,000	The National Weather Service in Charleston, South Carolina, in conjunction with Beaufort county Emergency Management, confirmed a small EF-0 tornado touched down at 1111 pm on April 8, 2010, two miles west of Bluffton and traveled northeast approximately 0.15 miles before dissipating. The tornado snapped off the tops of a few pine trees, a few of which landed on and damaged vehicles, tore off some aluminum flashing from homes, knocked down several fences, destroyed a shed and damaged a swing set. Maximum winds were estimated near 75 mph and the maximum path width was around 20 yards wide.
August 1996	Lightning	Bluffton	$40,000	no account filed
July 2025	Lightning	Bluffton	$25,000	Beaufort County Fire Department reported that a lightning strike ignited a fire in the lower portion of a home resulting in moderate damage to the structure.
July 2024	Lightning	Bluffton	$10,000	A lightning strike started a structure fire on Foxchase Lane.
June 2015	Lightning	Bluffton	$10,000	An emergency manager reported a structure fire caused by lightning in the 20 block area of Ironwood Circle.
June 2022	Lightning	Bluffton	$5,000	The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a lightning strike to a home along the 20 Block of West Morningside Drive. The strike caused a brush fire and melted water lines and power lines at the home.
July 2017	Lightning	Bluffton	$5,000	Beaufort County Emergency Management reported a suspected lightning strike resulted in a building fire off of Burnt Church Road. Extent of resulting damage is unknown.
August 2010	Lightning	Bluffton	$5,000	Lightning caused a fire at the Golden Corral in Bluffton, South Carolina. Firefighters found smoke and flames coming from the roof. The fire was quickly extinguished.
April 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$5,000	Power lines down at Myrtle island.
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$5,000	Trees and powerlines down along Bluffton Parkway.
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$5,000	Trees and powerlines down on Old Bailey Rd.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$5,000	Trees down on Harrison Island Road.
June 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$5,000	Trees and power lines down.
August 2020	Lightning	Bluffton	$3,500	A Beaufort County emergency manager reported a lightning strike to a residence along Farnsleigh Road which produced minor roof damage.
August 2020	Lightning	Bluffton	$3,500	Law enforcement relayed a report of a structure fire resulting from a lightning strike.
September 2009	Flash Flood	Bluffton	$3,000	Law Enforcement reported road closures due to flooding caused by heavy rains at 9th Avenue, 3rd Avenue, and Pinecrest Circle in Bluffton, South Carolina.
September 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$2,000	Beaufort County Emergency Management reported a tree and powerlines down on Oyster Street.
July 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$2,000	The public reported several 80 to 90 foot tall pine trees were blown down on Cat Brier Lane, 3 miles east-northeast of Bluffton, South Carolina.
May 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$2,000	The public reported trees down in the roadway on White Oaks Circle at Rosehall Plantation, in Bluffton, South Carolina.
August 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,500	Law Enforcement reported trees down on a house in the Shadygrove Subdivision in Bluffton, South Carolina.
July 2025	Lightning	Bluffton	$1,000	Beaufort County Fire Department reported that a lightning strike ignited a small brush fire.
March 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	Beaufort County Sheriff's Office reported a tree down near the intersection of Ann Smith Drive and Soperton Drive.
August 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree down near the intersection of Fording Island Road and Malphrus Road.
October 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	A Beaufort County emergency manager reported a tree down near the intersection of White Oaks Circle and Crabtree Lane in the Rose Hill neighborhood.
August 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	An emergency manager reported a tree down near the intersection of Minuteman Drive and Alljoy Road due to thunderstorm outflow.
June 2013	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	The South Carolina Department of Highways reported one tree down near the intersection of Bluffton Parkway and Red Cedar Street.
May 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	The public reported 2 trees down in Bluffton, South Carolina.
September 2009	Flash Flood	Bluffton	$1,000	The Beaufort County Warning Point reported that H.E. McCracken Circle was closed after two vehicles stalled out due to high water on the roadway.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	The Beaufort county warning point reported a tree blocking Highway 46 in Bluffton, South Carolina.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	Two trees were reported down in Bluffton, South Carolina.
April 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	A large Oak Tree was reported down in downtown Bluffton off of Mayriver Road near the intersection with Calhoun Street. 1 Tree was reported down in Mayriver Plantation.
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$1,000	Trees down at base of Hilton Head bridge.
August 1999	Lightning	Bluffton	$1,000	Lightning strikes resulted in a residence shed fire and several business fires.
June 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$500	A trained spotter reported a 10-12 inch diameter hardwood limb snapped off by thunderstorm winds.
September 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$500	Beaufort County Sheriff's Office reported a large tree down on Buck Island Road near the intersection with May River Road.
July 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$500	A National Weather Service employee reported a 15 foot tall, 8 inch diameter pine tree down near the intersection of Highway 278 and Burnt Church Road, near Bluffton, South Carolina.
June 2009	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$500	The public reported a tree down in the backyard of their residence along Lakeside Drive in Bluffton, South Carolina.
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$500	A tree was reported down 3 miles west of Bluffton, South Carolina.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	$500	A tree was reported down on a road in Bluffton, South Carolina.
August 2025	Flash Flood	Bluffton	-	The Beaufort County Sheriff Office reported a vehicle stalled in floodwaters in the 100 Block of H.E. McCracken Circle.
May 2024	Hail	Bluffton	-	A trained spotter reported penny sized hail near Bluffton.
May 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	Beaufort County Emergency Management reported a tree down at 10 Wharf Street.
August 2024	Flood	Bluffton	-	Law enforcement reported an incident where a vehicle hydroplaned in a neighborhood and went off a bridge into a pond on Hampton Hall Boulevard. No injuries were reported.
August 2024	Flood	Bluffton	-	Bluffton Fire District reported that a driver was pulled from a vehicle in a flooded parking lot at Parker's Gas Station along Gateway Village Road.
August 2024	Flash Flood	Bluffton	-	Fire officials reported flood waters entered a home at the intersection of Farm Lake Drive and Cattle Run Way. Waters were also about to enter several homes nearby.
June 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A 911 call center reported a tree down on a house at 40 Wilkerson Way.
June 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A firefighter reported a tree down near the intersection of Buckwalter Parkway and Lake Point Drive.
June 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A firefighter reported a tree down near the intersection of May River Road and Linden Park Drive.
August 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree down along Innovation Drive.
August 2023	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree down along Waterford Drive.
June 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree down on Fording Island Road in Rose Hill.
April 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported two trees down and blocking the road near the intersection of Buck Island Road and U.S. 278.
April 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	The Beaufort County 911 Call Center reported a tree down on a house along Fernlakes Drive.
April 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	An emergency manager reported a tree down on power lines.
December 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A Beaufort County emergency manager reported a tree down along Fording Island Road near the intersection with Moss Creek Village. The downed tree also resulted in a vehicle accident.
June 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A tree was reported down near the intersection of Alljoy Road and Confederate Avenue.
April 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Bluffton	-	A trained spotter reported tree limbs down and a tree on a house in Bluffton, SC near 9th Avenue.

Every storm recorded in Beaufort County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Property	Distance	Listed
Church of the Cross	0.1 miles	1975
Campbell Chapel AME Church	0.3 miles	2019
Rose Hill Plantation House	4.4 miles	1983
St. Luke's Church	5.7 miles	1987
Fort Mitchel	7.1 miles	2017
Callawassie Sugar Works	7.1 miles	2014

Sources for this property

National Archives record	The nomination case file for reference 96000686 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia article	Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Beaufort County	All 62 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.