Cora Bett Thomas Realty’s listing has been named the winner in HGTV’s 2018 Ultimate House Hunt contest, after receiving the most votes in the Homes with History category. Over 880,000 votes were cast and the contest generated more than 84 million page views.

This is the seventh consecutive year HGTV has aligned exclusively with Cora Bett Thomas Real Estate’s global real estate network Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® and its luxury marketing division Luxury Portfolio International® to host the Ultimate House Hunt, which is one of the most popular contests on HGTV.com.

The award-winning home exudes history. The Robert Smalls House, a National Historic Landmark built in 1843, was owned by Robert Smalls, an enslaved African American man who commandeered a Confederate ship and delivered its passengers to freedom during the Civil War. Smalls later returned to Beaufort, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and bought the house, which had been owned by his slave master.
 
The historic home features a wood frame structure, gable roof and two porches. Palmetto and magnolia trees shade sitting areas and brick walkways in the formal front garden. Around the back of the house waits a two-story guest cottage with a full kitchen, one and a half baths and a loft. The 4,264-square-foot house features six fireplaces, hardwood floors, crown molding, built-in bookshelves, a butler’s pantry and a recently renovated modern kitchen with a large island, granite counters and a green subway tile backsplash.

The month-long contest was a search for the world’s most extraordinary homes for sale. Featuring 88 homes from around the world in eight different categories. A world-wide audience voted for the properties they found most appealing, and Cora Bett Thomas Realty historic Beaufort home was selected.