Do new projects threaten Beaufort's old character? Park Service wants to investigate The Island Packet 4 hrs ago Karl Puckett, The Island Packet (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) May 14—A federal agency that monitors the integrity of areas with historic status wants to study Beaufort's to ensure the city's 300-acre treasure trove of well-preserved historic homes and businesses still measures up to its designation as a national historic landmark. In 1969, the 304-acre area comprising the original town of Beaufort was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The district was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973. It's bounded by the Beaufort River on the south and the east, Hamar and Bladen streets on the west and to the north by Boundary Street.