Beaufort Real Estate

As North Carolina's third-oldest town, you'll find plenty of history to explore in Beaufort, located on the beautiful Crystal Coast of the southern Outer Banks region. Beaufort was established in the early 1700s as an important trade center. Its history is inextricably tied to the sea, with plenty of pirate legends to go around. In fact, the pirate Blackbeard frequented the town, and the discovery of what was presumed to be his flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, just two miles from Beaufort Inlet in 1997 made national headlines.

Beaufort's 16-block historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located within the district is the Beafort Historic Site, a two-acre site that includes 10 restored historic buildings, gardens, an art gallery, and welcome center. From here you can also board an English double-decker bus for a tour of the district, or start out for a walking tour of the Old Burying Ground, one of the state's oldest cemeteries.

Surrounded on water on three sides, Beaufort's economy transitioned from one based primarily on trade to a commercial fishing site after the Civil War. In the 1970s, a waterfront revitalization effort brought new business and tourists to the town, establishing Beaufort as a summer resort.

Beaufort is also home to the North Carolina Maritime Museum, which interprets the state's ongoing relationship with the sea through exhibits, educational programs and special events, including the popular annual Traditional Wooden Boat Show.