“P” is for Port Royal

“P” is for Port Royal (Beaufort County, 2020 population 14,516). Port Royal has a history of French (1562), Spanish (1565-1587), Scots (1684), and English (1670) settlement. In 1869 construction of the Port Royal Railroad between Augusta, Georgia and Battery Point on the southern end of Port Royal Island led to the development of a town and harbor facilities. Commercial development of phosphate deposits in the vicinity attracted shipping. Between 1875 and 1900 Port Royal surpassed Beaufort in importance in both shipping and commercial activities. When the phosphate industry declined in South Carolina, so did much of Port Royal's prosperity. But as phosphate mining and cotton farming dwindled, shrimping, fishing, and other economic activities stepped in to revitalize the town.  Today Port Royal is home to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island and the US Naval Hospital Beaufort.