The Shell Builders: Tabby Architecture of Beaufort, South Carolina, and the Sea Islands

A comprehensive study of the oyster shell building material of the South Carolina Lowcountry

Beaufort, South Carolina,is well known for its historical architecture, but perhaps none is quite as remarkable as those edifices formed by tabby, sometimes called coastal concrete, comprising a mixture of lime, sand, water, and oyster shells. Tabby itself has a storied history stretching back to Iberian, Caribbean, Spanish, and African roots—brought to the United States by merchants, military engine...