Gross! Vandals tipped portable toilet, broke chandeliers at new Beaufort Co. park
A new Beaufort area passive park was vandalized by people who tipped a portable toilet and broke glass chandeliers, according to a Facebook post from Beaufort County government page on Wednesday.
Widgeon Point, located near the Broad River Bridge on Lemon Island, opened Jan. 15. The The 162-acre nature preserve includes a 0.7-mile earthen trail nature loop, bird blind, picnic area, event barn and temporary restrooms.
But this week, vandals tipped one of the portable toilets, leaving waste “all over” the toilet and the ground, the post says. Several vintage milk glass chandelier globes were also shattered and strewn about the lawn near the event barn.
The county said the vandalism is disgusting, costly and is “disgraceful to the community and this beautiful piece of property.”
Work is underway to clean up the mess from the toilet and upgrade the electrical system in the barn so the rest of the historic chandeliers can be hung there.
The county’s post said the vandalism was reported to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office for investigation and prosecution.
If you have any information about the vandalism, you can report it to the county’s passive parks manager at (843) 255-2152.
About Widgeon Point
Widgeon Point is a pet-friendly park that’s open from sunrise to sunset every day.
It is located on Lemon Island, directly off of S.C. 170 and borders Port Royal Sound.
It provides a place for unhindered bird watching, hikes among the forest and encounters with wildlife such as wading birds, songbirds, alligators, and the occasional deer.
Widgeon Point is a mix of pine-hardwood forest, maritime forest, freshwater depression wetlands and salt marshes.
It is co-owned by Beaufort County and the Beaufort County Open Land Trust.
The picnic pavilion has three picnic tables that are available on a first-come/first-serve basis for visitor use.
The barn at the preserve can be reserved for weddings and gatherings. To reserve, you can submit a passive parks facility rental application, available on the county’s website, to the passive parks manager.
Beaufort County manages and maintains the property and all proceeds from the barn rental go back into the property maintenance needs.
This story was originally published April 10, 2021 at 1:59 PM.
