A park protecting the indigenous history of Hilton Head Island is set to open later this summer after several months of construction.
The park — Ford’s Shell Rings Park — contains two shell rings built by Hilton Head Island’s Native American inhabitants 4,000 years ago. The park will allow visitors to view the rings and learn the history behind them.
Here’s what you need to know about the park and shell rings.
The Hilton Head park
The Town of Hilton Head and Beaufort County purchased the 6.8 acres of land the shell rings lie on in 2003 to prevent development, according to a news release from the town. In 2020, Beaufort County Council voted to construct a park on the lot, with the aim of protecting and informing the public about the shell rings. The park is named after the former landowner, Henry Ford…