Editing Bluffton, South Carolina (section)

===Contemporary era (1945–present)===
[[File:Palmetto Bluff.jpg|thumb|right|Palmetto Bluff at Montage Resort in Bluffton]]
Bluffton remained a commercial center until Coastal Highway ([[U.S. Route 17|US 17]]) and the bridge at [[Port Wentworth, Georgia|Port Wentworth]] over the [[Savannah River]] were completed, which made riverboat trade and travel less attractive. The [[Great Depression]] began shortly thereafter and brought the closure of the town's prosperity and commercial importance. The popularity of Bluffton as a vacation spot remained even after its loss of commercial stature. The development of [[Hilton Head Island]], nearby [[Sun City Hilton Head|Sun City]] and the related development in the 1990s caused a resurgence of commercial activity in the town. In 1996, Bluffton was designated a National Historic District with 46 contributing buildings and two contributing sites. In 1998, the Heyward House opened to the public by the Bluffton Historical Preservation Society. In 1999, the Heyward House was part of the Save America's Treasures program. The Heyward House became the town's welcome center in 2000, and the Old Town Bluffton historic district was established through zoning regulations and architectural standards. In 2005, Bluffton was recognized as a [[Preserve America]] Community, a federal program that encourages community efforts to preserve the nation's cultural and historical assets.

[[Altamaha Town]], [[Bluffton Historic District]], [[Church of the Cross]], and [[Rose Hill Plantation House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>