In the 1960s, the Beaufort Woman's Club, under the guidance of its president and staunch preservationist Miss Emily Loftin, initiated the development of the Beaufort town seal.
Permission was sought from the College of Arms for adopting the Duke of Beaufort's crest for the design, but it was determined that the Duke's crest could only be used if modified. This modification included changing the lower two quadrants of the crest, replacing the Fleurs de Lis with three red roses of Lancaster - the ruling house at the time Beaufort was chartered -
and substituting three fish for the lions. Once the artwork was completed, Rep. N. W. Taylor presented the seal for authorization by the North Carolina General Assembly, with final official approval by Beaufort Mayor William H. Potter and Town Commissioners Osborne Davis, David Farrior, Frank Langdale, Earl Mades and Glenn Willis in 1968.
The Beaufort town seal was designed by Will Hon who was coordinator for educational programs in the marine sciences for the
