Tabernacle Baptist Church, Beaufort

The Tabernacle was initially constructed in 1811 by members who had split from the Baptist Church of Beaufort. Although the separation was brief, the Tabernacle continued to be used as a lecture hall and for evening worship.

When Federal troops occupied Beaufort in 1861, the Tabernacle became a central hub for African American religious activities. In 1863, the Tabernacle Baptist Church was established as the first Baptist church for African Americans in Beaufort, South Carolina.

The congregation officially purchased the building and property from the Baptist Church of Beaufort in 1867. A bell tower was added in 1873, and the building underwent significant renovations following the 1893 hurricane.

The church’s cemetery is the final resting place of General Robert Smalls, Beaufort’s most notable African American political leader.