With the expansion of its park offering as a goal of its Old Town Master Plan, the Town of Bluffton had long sought to buy the Wright family property to make it a park. The property, vacant since the 1990s, is located on the May River and features the Squire Pope Carriage House, a structure with more than 150 years of history. 

The town partnered with Beaufort County to purchase the property for $1.5 million, with an agreement that makes the town the park’s operating partner. Funding for the park’s construction came from hospitality and accommodations taxes along with a SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism grant. At the same time, the town expanded the historic Calhoun Street Regional Dock, which is adjacent to the property.  

Archaeological digs by the Historic Bluffton Foundation yielded dozens of artifacts at the site. Town staff worked with the Wright family and preservation experts to incorporate the family’s and town’s history into the park’s signs, elements and landscaping. Moving forward, the town will use a matching grant from the SC Department of Archives and History to stabilize and rehabilitate the Squire Pope House for public use.  

As developed, the Wright Family Park gives all residents and visitors a better opportunity to experience the ecology, culture and identity of one of the South’s last historical river villages.