He championed Beaufort’s waterfront park. Here’s how the city will recognize him
Henry C. Chambers saw a waterfront park in Beaufort where others couldn’t. Soon visitors will know who was responsible for the vision.
More than 40 years after the former longtime mayor championed the park, his name will adorn the 7-acre site on the Beaufort River. The city plans to add bronze letters to a prominent wall in the park’s amphitheater telling visitors they are in Henry C. Chambers Park.
Chambers died in 2018 at age 89. His son, Beaufort architect Bill Chambers, designed the lettering.
Mayor Billy Keyserling and former City Council member Edie Rodgers pushed for the recognition.
“Henry C. Chambers had the vision and tenacity to bring back a dying downtown Beaufort by creating an environmental and commercial destination to draw people from the greater Beaufort area and from across the region to enjoy our natural resources in what was then the center of commerce for the region,” Keyserling said in a statement.
The project cost $10,000 and will be paid for by private donations to a special city fund established for such purposes.
Chambers was elected mayor in 1969 and began working soon after to establish the park. He leaned on a network that included his alma mater, Clemson University, U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond and the state delegation to piece together plans for the $5.3-million park.
The park was built on hundreds of pilings and periodically requires pricey maintenance. A renovation in 2005 cost more than $8 million and, more recently, the city has paid to repair the pilings that keep the park afloat.
The space plays host to numerous major events throughout the year, including the Beaufort Water Festival. A pavilion, amphitheater, swings, playground and day-use dock are part of the park, and numerous restaurants overlook the green space and river.
City Council will vote on the sign during its meeting Tuesday.
