There are few things that will tell you more about a town than a look into their most prized bookstore; in Beaufort that esteemed centerpiece is the well-known and well-visited McIntosh books. Travelers who regularly visit the town are drawn to the bookstore and after learning about the hospitality and history of the culture, often determine that their life may be better lived here in the Lowcountry. Wilson McIntosh has made it his job to not only find literary treasures, but to act as a local historian and preservationist; gathering and protecting genealogy’s, anthologies and guiding records that serve as bastion of heritage for our small but proud community. The bookstore is a blended meeting ground where history can be preserved and shared by both our amazing Gullah culture though slave anthologies and the heritage of our plantation properties with texts and documents memorializing their grandeur. One of the most commented on areas of the book store is not the extensive hunting section, or the extremely rare section or even the civil war area, but the outdoor book section where inexpensive books can be purchased through the honor system by passers-by at any hour of the day. This store is a symbol of the town, where generosity of spirit and trust in the fellows around can flourish and support the community we love and grow here in Beaufort.
The next owner of this store will have to be a member of our community that values the small town, small business, and quiet life lived slowly in the Lowcountry. Someone who enjoys a visit from an out of towner or is willing to step away from the store to help unload a painting for one of the nearby art galleries. The value of this business is only partially in the numbers, the true value is in the passion and companionship this store will give the next owner.