Before Europeans arrived in 1709, Beaufort was an Indian fishing village. Until 1723, when it was incorporated and named for the Duke of Beaufort, it was known as Fishtowne. It has always been, in one way or another, seaborne.
For nearly 75 years, TaylorÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s Creek, site of Front Street Village, was the home of Beaufort Fisheries. One of several menhaden fisheries developed by Yankee entrepreneurs in the 1890s, its products expanded from fertilizer to high-protein animal feeds and oil production during the 1940s.s It was a thriving business until January of 2005.
Beaufort Fisheries was a major contributor to BeaufortÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s economy as it moved from small fishing village to sophisticated, historic tourist town. Equipment and selected architectural features of the fishery will remain as points of interest in the completed new development.
