The city of Savannah in the U.S. state of Georgia is a city that has much history. Fort Jackson, located on the Savannah River east of the historic downtown area is a big part of that history. It was the second defense from an attack from the Savannah River after Fort Pulaski, and the fort played a role in the War of 1812. The fort is named after, of course, James Jackson, a British born officer who served in the American Revolutionary war and was later the governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the oldest standing brick fort in the state of Georgia and one of the oldest on the East Coast of the United States. If you are ever visiting Savannah, you will want to make some time to visit this National Historic Landmark.
Now some of you are saying, “You know. I am amazed to hear about Fort Jackson. You see the history of the fort as a fortification for battle, and I see how it helped defend the ships going in and out of Savannah, but I am wondering where the railroads are at this fort.”
Fort Jackson was a fort built to defend Savannah from a sea attack. It has much history as a fort itself, but you will not find any railroad history here at all. In matter of fact, the fort itself has no history with the railroad at all.
Why visit Fort James Jackson if it has no history with the railroad? You will see the answer to the question as soon as you arrive.
The first thing you will see when you arrive at Fort Jackson is the Visitor Center. What is so special about the Visitor Center? Many historic sites have visitor centers that show the history of the particular site. What is special about the Fort Jackson Visitor Center? The answer is that before it was the Fort Jackson Visitor Center, the structure was called the Tybee Depot. Yes, it was located in downtown Savannah. (This train depot was separate from the main train station that is now the Savannah Visitor Center.) The Central of Georgia Railroad ran passenger trains from downtown Savannah to Tybee Island, an island on the Atlantic Ocean that was a resort town. When the railroad no longer served Tybee Island, the depot was preserved and eventually brought to Fort Jackson to become the visitor center.
You now have a reason to visit Fort Jackson. Once you see the visitor center, you will want to see the fort as well. The fort is located at 1 Fort Jackson Road just minutes from the historic district. It is a place worth seeing.