When Billy and Nancy Rhett decided to open a little gallery on Bay Street in 1981, they didn't know what they were getting into! She was tired of lugging everything up and down the East Coast for exhibits, and he was tired of driving his fragile carvings to New York twice a year to a gallery there. Also they were both tired of trying to work in their in-home studios only to be interrupted to entertain clients. So they rented a small space in town, hired a manager, and all was well. Business prospered as Beaufort grew.

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By this time, their personal collection of antique maps and natural history prints was bulging, so they put a few for sale in the gallery, mainly to see if anyone was interested. they were, and this facet of the business began to grow also. Now the space was too small, so they bought and restored 901 Bay Street, a wonderful old building built in 1884, Perfect for a larger gallery.

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Today the collection of art and antiques is even larger and continues to grow.