In Beaufort, South Carolina, stands a house with an extraordinary history. Here, Robert Smalls was born enslaved in 1839. Here, he worked as a house servant, then was hired out to work on boats in Charleston Harbor. In 1862, while piloting the Confederate transport ship Planter, Smalls waited until the white officers went ashore, then sailed the ship and his family to freedom, delivering the vessel and its cargo of Confederate artillery to the Union Navy. He became a war hero, then a businessman, then a state legislator, then a U.S. Congressman. And here, to this house in Beaufort, he returned after the war - purchasing it at tax sale and moving in. When his former enslaver's widow, confused by dementia, appeared at the door, Smalls took her in. He cared for her until her death. It's the most American story imaginable: slavery, escape, success, reconciliation, and a house that witnessed it all.
Robert Smalls was born in 1839 in the slave quarters behind the house at 511 Prince Street, owned by Henry McKee. His mother, Lydia Polite, was a house servant; his father was likely a white man, possibly McKee himself. Smalls was raised in the house, learning to read (illegally) and developing the quick intelligence that would later save his life. At age 12, he was sent to Charleston, where McKee hired him out for wages that went to his enslaver. Smalls worked on boats in the harbor, learning to pilot the complex waterways around Charleston. When war came, he was assigned to the Confederate ship Planter as a wheelman - effectively a pilot, though enslaved men couldn't hold the title.
On May 13, 1862, the Planter lay at dock in Charleston Harbor, loaded with cannons and ammunition. The white officers left the ship to spend the night onshore, against regulations. Smalls saw his chance. He gathered his family and other enslaved crew members, fired the boilers, and sailed the Planter out of the harbor. Smalls knew the Confederate signals and checkpoints. He wore the captain's straw hat and mimicked his posture, passing Fort Sumter in the predawn darkness. Once past the forts, he raised a white flag and surrendered to the Union blockade. The Union gained a ship, artillery, and invaluable intelligence about Confederate harbor defenses. Smalls became an instant celebrity.
Smalls met with Lincoln and spoke to Northern audiences, recruiting Black soldiers. He returned to active service as a pilot, eventually becoming the first Black captain of a U.S. Army vessel. After the war, he entered politics during Reconstruction. He served in the South Carolina legislature, then in the U.S. House of Representatives for five terms. He fought for civil rights, education, and the rights of the freedpeople. When Reconstruction ended and white supremacy reasserted itself, Smalls lost his seat. He remained in Beaufort, serving as customs collector (appointed by Republican presidents) and fighting against the disenfranchisement of Black voters. He died in 1915, largely forgotten, his achievements buried by the Lost Cause mythology.
After the war, the McKee house was seized for unpaid taxes. Smalls bought it at auction in 1863 and moved his family in. The house where he'd been enslaved became his home. When Jane McKee, his former enslaver's elderly widow, appeared at the door years later - confused, her family scattered, her wealth gone - Smalls didn't turn her away. He took her in and cared for her until her death. It's a remarkable act of compassion, or perhaps triumph, or perhaps both. Smalls lived in the house until his own death in 1915. The house stands today, a National Historic Landmark.
The Robert Smalls House is located at 511 Prince Street in Beaufort, South Carolina. The house is a National Historic Landmark but is privately owned; exterior viewing only. Beaufort offers significant Gullah and African American heritage tourism, including the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park (whose visitor center has exhibits on Smalls). The Penn Center on nearby St. Helena Island was founded to educate freed slaves during the Civil War. Beaufort has a charming historic downtown with antebellum architecture. Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport is 50 miles south. The Port Royal Sound, where Smalls first met the Union Navy, is nearby.
Located at 32.43°N, 80.67°W in Beaufort, South Carolina, on Port Royal Island. From altitude, Beaufort is visible as a small city on the Intracoastal Waterway, surrounded by the Sea Islands of the South Carolina Lowcountry. The historic district is visible near the waterfront. Charleston, where Smalls escaped, is 70 miles north. Savannah is 50 miles south. The terrain is classic Lowcountry - sea islands, salt marshes, tidal creeks. Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort is visible on the island's eastern edge. Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport is the nearest major commercial service.