Abstract:
Beaufort’s early history is fairly tumultuous. Early engagements with the Tuscarora left the small community scarred. Further encounters with pirates in 1731 and Spanish raiders in 1741 delayed, but did not stop, settlement. By the early 1830s, a local courthouse and fort had been erected while Fort Macon was under construction. Today, Beaufort’s eastern part faces the inlet; nearby are the Cape Lookout lighthouse and associated Coast Guard Station. The oldest areas of town include an 18th century cemetery and house which dates to 1723.