Beaufort  

 Sundial: 1014
State/Province:  South Carolina Country:  USA
Dial Type:  Horizontal Dial Condition:  Excellent
  Latitude and Longitude: 32° 23.333' N  80° 40.883′ W
Location:
  • Located aboard the Naval Support Facility / Naval Hospital Beaufort, near the flagpole in front of the hospital.

    Naval Hospital, Beaufort opened in 1949 on 127 acres of land. Historically, the site was formerly the John Joiner Smith Plantation, which included Camp Saxton, a Civil War Garrison, and Fort Frederick, both recognized as National Historical sites. The sundial from Naval Hospital Parris Island was moved to Beaufort on its decommissioning.
 
Description:
  • Farenholt sundial for U.S. Naval Hospital Parris Island SC. This cast bronze dial was designed and commissioned by RADM Farenholt for U.S. Naval Hospitals at bases where he was commanding officer, visited, or had special meaning to him. The dial is 18 inches (46cm) in diameter. The outer chapter ring has the motto, followed by a chapter ring with Arabic hours 6am to 6pm, raised hour lines that radiate from near the foot of the gnomon and short half-hour lines. The gnomon has graceful curves and a star cut-out in the center. Below the gnomon is the naval command name, followed by the commissioning date in the southern portion of the hours chapter ring.

    This dial was previously located on the Naval Hospital, Parris Island, which was decommissioned on August 31, 1949. The last Commanding Officer of NH Parris Island, Captain Leslie Marshall, became the first Commanding Officer of NH Beaufort and brought the sundial with him to the new site. This sundial as well as other Naval Hospital dials was commissioned by Admiral Ammen Farenholt (retired 1936) through two world wars. The Parris Island dial of 1917 may have been the first.

    Enclosed is a short article of Admiral Farenholt's father, the first Navy sailor to advance from seaman to rear admiral (at the time the highest rank for a US naval officer).
 
General Information:Inscription:
  • Owner: United States Navy
  • Circling the top of the dial:
    "Fide Sed Cui Vide."
    (Trust, but be careful in whom you trust; alternately: Have confidence, but be careful in whom you confide.)

    South of the gnomon on the dial face:
    UNITED STATES
    NAVAL HOSPITAL
    PARRIS ISLAND
    SOUTH CAROLINA
    1917

    Beneath the date, initials "AF"
    (Navy Medical Admiral Dr. Ammen Farenholt)
  • Designer: RADM Ammen Farenholt (then CAPT)
  • Builder: U.S. Navy Foundry
  • Construction Date: 1917
 
References:
  • Farenholt Sundials
    #181 US NH Annapolis MD
    #258 US Naval Center Bethesda MD
    #461 US NH Brooklyn (Walter Reed, Bethesda MD)
    #462 US NH Pearl Harbor (At Walter Reed)
    #1014 US NH Parris Island SC (Beaufort SC)
    #1076 US NH Mare Island CA
    #1077 US NH Newport RI
    #1078 US NH Puget Sound WA (Bremerton, WA)
    #1079 US NH San Diego CA
    #1080 US Naval Ammo Depot (Hawthorne, NV)
    #1081 US Naval Air Station CA
    #1082 US NH Portsmouth NH
    #1083 US NH Corpus Christi TX

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Last Revised: 2021-06-04 13:26:33