A two story brick building flanked by large live oak trees
Brick Baptist Church, located on the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District, was home to the Penn School between 1862-1865 NPS Photo

Reconstruction Era National Historical Park

National Historic Site · South Carolina · National Park Service

The Reconstruction era,1861-1900 the historic period in which the United States grappled with the question of how to integrate millions of newly freed African Americans into social, political, economic, and labor systems, was a time of significant transformation. The people, places, and events in Beaufort County, South Carolina, reflect on the most important issues of this tumultuous time period.

Plan your visit

Trails & hiking

Hiking

Know before you go

Phone
(843) 962-0039
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

Highlights: African American Heritage · Military · Reconstruction · Social Movements · Civil Rights

Activities & features: Guided Tours · Self-Guided Tours - Walking · Junior Ranger Program · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • A one story brick building with large arched windows
    NPS Photo
  • A park ranger holds a sign while talking to young people.
    Hannah Hicks
  • A Park Ranger points at the ruins of a tabby wall with three people looking on
    NPS Photo/Daryl Averill Jr.
  • A large white wooden building with red trim and a porch.
    NPS Photo
  • A large crowd of people gather in a field. In the foreground is an NPS sign
    NPS Photo

Nearby parks

Parks of South Carolina

Congaree National ParkLandsford Canal State ParkBattle of Musgrove Mill State Historic SiteLake Wateree State ParkRedcliffe Plantation State Historic SiteBarnwell State ParkKings Mountain National Military ParkCroft State ParkOconee Station State Historic SiteWoods Bay State ParkColleton State ParkEdisto Beach State ParkKeowee-Toxaway State ParkHickory Knob State Resort ParkBaker Creek State ParkCharles Pinckney National Historic SiteLake Greenwood State ParkRose Hill Plantation State Historic SiteLittle Pee Dee State ParkLake Hartwell State ParkHampton Plantation State Historic SitePoinsett State ParkCowpens National BattlefieldAndrew Jackson State ParkLee State ParkOconee State ParkHunting Island State ParkCheraw State ParkGoodale State ParkParis Mountain State ParkDevils Fork State ParkBlack River State ParkNinety Six National Historic SiteDreher Island State ParkTable Rock State ParkPine Island State ParkColonial Dorchester State Historic SiteCalhoun Falls State ParkHamilton Branch State ParkSt. Phillips IslandSesquicentennial State ParkGivhans Ferry State ParkJones Gap State ParkLake Warren State ParkKings Mountain State ParkHuntington Beach State ParkSadlers Creek State ParkH. Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial and Recreation AreaAiken State ParkMyrtle Beach State ParkCharles Towne Landing State Historic SiteBattle of Rivers Bridge State Historic SiteCaesars Head State ParkChester State ParkFort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical ParkSantee State Park

57 parks mapped in South Carolina

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Guides for the trip

All guides →

Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12