CHARTER ONE REALTY
Saving Whitehall Point
story by HEATHER STEINBERGER photos by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY
Whitehall Point holds a powerful place in Beaufort’s collective consciousness. This wooded peninsula, which sits at the east end of the historic 1959 Woods Memorial Bridge, has attracted attention for more than 230 years due to its prominent location on the Beaufort River, just a stone’s throw from downtown.
English sea captain Daniel Hingston Blythewood established the 700-acre Whitehall Plantation on Lady’s Island around 1790, according to the Sea Island Coalition; tabby ruins remained on the point as late as the 1920s. Union troops seized the property in 1861, and by the early 1900s, multiple owners held portions of the plantation’s original acreage.
Later in the 20th century, the Point was home to Wilkop’s Whitehall Inn. Michael Mark of Charter One Realty says it was the place to be, once upon a time.
“It was so beautiful,” says the third-generation Beaufortonian, whose family arrived in 1904. “When we were young, that was the place to take your date if you could afford it! You would see all of old Beaufort there.”
Mark graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1985 with a degree in finance. He returned to Beaufort to help grow FWDG, the business the Mark family founded in 1972. He became a licensed realtor in 2003 and a full-time agent in 2008.
“I grew up in the Point, which was very different then,” he says with a smile. “My family business was in the building that is now Breakwater Restaurant on Carteret Street; Charter One Realty’s Beaufort office is there too, and I actually sit in my father’s old office, which is something that makes me very happy.”
He says the Beaufort community remembers Wilkop’s fondly, and the various Beaufort Facebook groups would seem to agree. Members bring up the old family-owned inn from time to time, reminiscing about happy family occasions and photos underneath the majestic live oak trees.
“When Wilkop’s shut down, the property was dormant for something like 20 years,” Mark recalls. “It became dilapidated and overgrown, and then it was sold off. Many different developers were involved after that, but no one put together a plan that worked.”
That is, until the current developer, who also is a local Beaufortonian. He attended Beaufort Academy at the same time as Michael Mark and still lives in the area.
Originally, the plan was to build an independent living facility on the property, but he determined there wasn’t enough demand. An amended plan involved a 250-unit apartment complex that would span 20 acres.
The community’s reaction was immediate, given its longtime affection for this beloved piece of property. The developer listened.
Whitehall Development Group overhauled its existing plans. It reimagined what Whitehall Point could be, embarking on a tumultuous but worthwhile five-year-process that engaged Beaufort County, the City of Beaufort, Allen Patterson Builders, Charter One Realty, the Open Land Trust, the Friends of Whitehall Park, and countless dedicated local citizens.
A key piece of the new puzzle: The 20-acre property was subdivided in 2019, and Beaufort County purchased 10 acres. That 10 acres ultimately became a passive waterfront park that would be managed by the City of Beaufort.
“This is such a win for our citizens, who use it every day,” Mark says. “(The developer) initially was going to use all 20 acres, and he spent a lot of time working on the design for the apartment complex. It was a lot of time and money to walk away from. But the community wanted that waterfront to be preserved.
“Then the Friends of Whitehall Point group got together,” he continues. “They went to all the meetings, they were relentless in fighting for that park, and people were eager to donate money. They cared, and they won a victory for all of us.”
The developer ensured the park would have all the services it needed. And, using park funds, Beaufort County built a connection from the Woods Memorial Bridge to the eastern 1927 bridge spur, which allows walkers to easily access Whitehall Point from downtown.
“It wasn’t always easy, but it was a true partnership,” Mark says. “The community really came together because everyone knew it was the right thing to do.”
What’s more, the developer decided to build on the 10-acre parcel that was forested primarily with pine trees, rather than on the more valuable ten waterfront acres filled with live oaks.
“Those 300-year-old oak trees are the reason Whitehall Point is designed the way it is,” Mark observes. “We had an incredible land planner who went above and beyond, and it literally started with one oak tree. He designed the neighborhood from there.”
The final masterplan for the Whitehall Point community on the developed 10 acres includes 21 single-family homes starting at $1 million, eight luxury townhomes, and four mixed-use commercial buildings with businesses on the ground floor and offices or apartments above. All together, they will reflect the ideals of New Urbanism: walkability, connectivity, mixed-use, quality architecture, traditional neighborhood structure, increased density, and green transportation.
While four architecture firms are involved with design, Allen Patterson Builders is the community’s only approved builder.
Patterson’s deep roots in Beaufort go back to the early 1700s. His family started in construction in the early 1900s, and his current business has been building homes in Beaufort for more than 30 years.
The company is a NAHB Certified Master Builder and a member of the invitation-only Southern Living Custom Builder Program, a network of the South’s top custom home builders. It is celebrated for projects like Midtown Square in downtown Beaufort, which was named Southern Living’s “Best Planned Community” in 2013.
“Allen says he is honored to have the opportunity to be part of this, and part of Whitehall Point’s future,” Mark says.
Michael Mark and his partner at CharterOne Realty, Michelle Gibbons, are representing Whitehall Point as the listing brokerage. Gibbons hails from Huntington, West Virginia, where she graduated from Marshall University; she has called the Lowcountry home for roughly 30 years.
“I moved to Hilton Head Island in the mid-‘90s and then to Beaufort in 1999,” says Gibbons, who ran an ecotourism and kayak business with her husband and then opened a personal training studio. “I met Michael when I was doing personal training. He asked me to join him in real estate, and I thought, why not? I got my license about two and a half years ago.”
Founded in 1986, Charter One Realty started at the south end of Hilton Head and then migrated into the Beaufort and Savannah markets. Mark says it’s the largest real estate company in the area by more than double, with $1.6 billion in sales last year alone.
“We only take seasoned agents, but we have an innovative three-year mentorship program that allows us to make a commitment to someone like Michelle for three years,” Mark says. “I’m happy to do this for someone else, because in 2003, (former Beaufort mayor) Billy Keyserling mentored me.”
Mark and Gibbons both say Whitehall Point has been well received, and interest is booming. They sold the commercial lots almost immediately, and home sales are moving right along.
“We have two custom builds in permitting right now, one is in the design phase, and two are almost complete,” Gibbons says. “It’s been busy, but we still have some availability, and not all plans are set in stone. If you have an idea for your property, bring it! Allen and his team know how to take advantage of each lot. It’s a very thoughtful process.”
Project partners are proving to be both professionally and personally invested in Whitehall Point. The developer lives in the neighborhood, the property manager is buying a commercial space, and Mark and Patterson are teaming up on a cafe venture near the park entrance.
“So many people are out walking already — in the park and neighborhood, but also across the bridge from downtown,” Mark says. “This will become an extension of downtown, with places to get coffee and breakfast, or perhaps enjoy a glass of wine with charcuterie.”
“And enjoy the incredible sunrises and sunsets,” Gibbons adds. “The property has such amazing views.”
With its diverse home styles, small-scale streetscapes, shady lots, and what will soon be a bustling little business district, new life and energy definitely are coming to Whitehall Point. Best of all, the essence of what makes it special has been preserved as a gift for future generations.
“The park is a treasure,” Mark reflects. “So many people got married here. There are so many photos under one famous oak tree. It’s the real jewel of the property, and it was saved.”
For information about the Whitehall Point community, visit www.charteronerealty.com/whitehall-point-real-estate.php.
