Uncover the unusual laws and peculiar customs that have found a place in this charming town in Beaufort County. Join us on an adventure to unveil the lesser-known facts and unique idiosyncrasies of this vibrant community.
Bluffton holds some laws that may appear strange to us today.
These regulations date back to older times but remain in place, ready to catch the unwary.
- On Sundays, selling musical instruments, clocks, silverware, and kitchenware is prohibited.
- Despite its oddity, keeping horses in bathtubs is not allowed.
- Under the law, a man cannot seduce a woman while engaged to another.
- Only individuals over 17 years old can play pinball.
- Working on Sundays is unlawful unless essential or for charity. Some exceptions apply such as specific sales and crucial services like funeral homes and cemeteries.
- Dancing at clubs must cease at midnight on Saturdays.
- Removing a railroad from a town with over 500 residents is considered illegal.
“Members of the jury…”
In civil cases and previously in criminal cases, the jury selection process used to be unique. All the jurors’ names would be in a container on the clerk of court’s desk. Then, either a child under ten, a blind person, or a court official would draw 20 names from this container. The Plaintiff would strike out four names, followed by the Defendant striking out four more. This process would result in a panel of twelve jurors who would proceed to try the case.
The intriguing world of Gullah culture with its spiritual tradition known as Hoodoo.
Rooted in African and Afro-Caribbean beliefs, Hoodoo is a complex system of healing and beliefs, not black magic. Even today, practices like the following are implemented by some of the Gullah culture in the Sea Islands of South Carolina:
- painting doors and windows blue to ward off witches
- passing infant children over coffins to protect them from spirits
- using graveyard dirt for various purposes
- having bottle trees for protection against evil spirits
Other Fun Facts:
- The town’s former newspaper was called the Bluffton Eccentric.
- The Bluffton restaurant and landmark among locals and a destination for tourists, Squat ‘N’ Gobble, has hosted such names as Dolly Parton, Tom Berenger, Tony Shalhoub, former NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Congressman Joe Wilson and Governor Mark Sanford. And, Jay Leno featured and signed our menu on The Tonight Show.
- In 1913, Rosie Berdych, a seven-year-old illiterate oyster shucker, unintentionally became the face of groundbreaking labor law changes. Captured by photographer Lewis Wickes Hine at Varn & Platt Canning Co., her image helped expose child labor nationwide. These photos, along with others from the Carolinas, were pivotal in shaping child labor laws in the early 1920s.
