The historic districts in Charleston and Beaufort share something special in common: Both are places where millions visit each year, bringing in significant revenue that helps power their economies. But they're also places where many people choose to live, and the quality of life remains an important part of their charm. Losing that charm would put them at risk, as most preservation work is done by private property owners maintaining their homes.
In both places, there inevitably is a degree of tension as residential concerns are balanced against commercial ones. What ultimately is important is not that either side wins — no one should want them to become either gated communities closed off to outsiders or historical theme parks where only employees live. What ultimately is important is that balance is preserved.
A dispute in Beaufort has highlighted this tension, and we're pleased to see that it is being resolved with a compromise. As reporter Tony Kukulich notes, a settlement agreement has taken shape in the 2-year-long legal battle over the historic Robert Smalls House , a battle that pitted the Historic Beaufort Foundation against the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The dispute arose after Billy and Paul Keyserling bought the house with the intent to sell it to the National Trust, which they did last year.
However, the foundation had a 2002 easement on the home specifying that it be used as a single-family home, like many neighboring homes on Prince Street. At .
