Daufuskie Island Historic District (Listed 1982)

This gallery presents archival photos and summary text from the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Daufuskie Island Historic District. Listed in 1982, the district encompasses the entirety of the island and is recognized for its architectural, historical, and cultural significance—particularly its Black folk architecture and Gullah Geechee heritage.

Five key cultural sites highlighted in this gallery also appear in the Memory Sites section of this project.

Historical Overview

Description: Daufuskie Island encompasses 5,200 acres of high land and is only accessible by boat. The island's unpaved, unnamed roads and dense woodlands preserve its sense of isolation. The Historic District includes 241 contributing properties, including 18 of notable historical or architectural value. Most buildings reflect vernacular folk forms from 1890–1930 and employ building technologies dating back to the 18th century. The structures and landscapes reflect periods of enslavement, Reconstruction, and Black landownership amidst geographic and legal pressures of heirs property.

Statement of Significance: The district is significant for its intact folk architecture, the adaptive reuse of earlier building methods, and its role in Black history. Notable historical themes include sea island cotton cultivation, the oyster industry, and Black-led land ownership during Reconstruction. The survival of cultural practices—including Praise House worship, oyster cooperative societies, and grave decoration customs—speaks to the continuity of Gullah Geechee traditions.

Architecture: Daufuskie’s buildings are primarily vernacular wooden structures using braced frame construction—unusual for the period. Three dominant housing types appear: single-pen cottages, gable hatch homes, and double pile houses. Corner brace techniques and summer beams link these buildings to 18th-century construction practices, underscoring the island’s architectural continuity and isolation.

Highlighted Properties in Both Registry & Memory Sites

• First Union African Baptist Church (#89): ca. 1918, one-story frame church with Greek Revival elements, twin entrances, and polygonal steeple. Landmark of Gullah worship and education.
• Robinson House (#92–93): ca. 1900–1910, vernacular frame homes with shed porches and gable roofs; reflect Black family residence and landownership across generations.
• Union Sisters and Brothers Oyster Society Hall (#124): ca. 1890 (moved c. 1920), two-story frame structure used as a fraternal lodge supporting the island’s oyster economy. Now in dilapidated condition.
• Praise House (ruins at #134): Wooded tract with ruins of Gullah Praise House, associated with spiritual traditions including ring shouts and communal rituals.
• Mary Field Cemetery (#129): 19th-century cemetery still in use. Graves are marked with crockery and personal items, continuing African funerary customs.