Port Royal Plantation - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Port Royal Plantation is located along the northeastern curve of Hilton Head Island and borders both the Port Royal Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. Known as a quiet and peaceful area, Port Royal Plantation was the second resort community developed on Hilton Head Island.

Special features of the Port Royal area include pristine beaches, three championship golf courses and the award-winning tennis complex of the Port Royal Racquet Club. Other Amenities include a Clubhouse, Olympic size Swimming Pool, Beach House, Leisure paths, an Arboretum, Fishing, Planned Activities and Community Events. There are also many Historical markers related to the Civil War.

Port Royal Plantation has long been a center of activity on Hilton Head Island, originally used by Native Americans for hunting and seafood gathering for hundreds of years. The bluffs of our
plantation were first sighted in modern times by Spanish Captain Pedro de Quexos in 1521, and were subsequently claimed by English Captain William Hilton in 1663, from whom the Island takes its name. He was followed by a succession of Spanish, French and English explorers and traders.

At the start of the Civil War, the present Port Royal Plantation was occupied by Confederate forces. In the Battle of Port Royal in 1861, the Confederate troops were defeated and 13,000 Union troops landed to take control of the island. A town quickly sprang up with over 15,000 civilians to complement the military presence. Restaurants, a theatre, stores, newspapers and saloons all prospered, centered around the main street known as “Robbers Row.” Historical markers at Fort Walker Park, the Beach House and the Steam Gun describe events that took place here and in the surrounding waters.

An earthworks installation known as Fort Sherman was constructed by the troops in 1862, and is largely intact today. The Union’s Department of the South was headquartered there, and between 1862 and 1865 about 40,000 Union troops passed through our plantation.

For more History and information please visit www.portroyalplantation.net