Coastal Museums Association Stay connected with the Coastal Heritage Society!   HOME > ABOUT US WHO WE ARE HISTORY MEMBERSHIP > LEVELS & BENEFITS JOIN NOW RENEW MEMBERSHIP EVENTS PRESS ROOM CAREERS STAFF DIRECTORY THE SAVANNAH HISTORY EXPERIENCE > BATTLEFIELD PARK ROUNDHOUSE RAILROAD MUSEUM SAVANNAH HISTORY MUSEUM OLD FORT JACKSON > OLD FORT JACKSON HISTORY FUTURE SITES > CHILDREN'S MUSEUM C.S.S. GEORGIA TOURS NEWS UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ADMISSION DINING GROUP RATES MAPS & DIRECTIONS > OLD FORT JACKSON DIRECTIONS TOURS EDUCATOR'S GUIDE FIELD TRIPS HOME SCHOOL SCOUTS CHILDREN'S CAMPS FAMILY EVENTS OVERVIEW BIRTHDAYS > BIRTHDAY BATTALION COLONIAL TIMES PARTY FANCY TEA PARTY LITTLE ENGINEER CLIENT LIST CORPORATE EVENTS WEDDINGS VOLUNTEER SPONSORSHIP & DONATIONS > WISHLIST WAYS TO GIVE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS OUR TEAM PRESERVATION REPORT ARCHAEOLOGY > FAQ GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS COLLECTIONS > EXHIBITS ARTYFACTS SAVE OUR TREASURES OUR TEAM ROLLING STOCK > ENGINES CARS CABOOSES HISTORY Originally chartered as a group of maritime history enthusiasts, the Coastal Heritage Society has grown by leaps and bounds since it was founded in September 1975. In its earliest days, the Society met at Old Fort Jackson, a War of 1812-era brick fortification on the Savannah River just east of downtown Savannah, When budget cuts forced the State of Georgia to close the fort's doors in 1976, the Society leased the fort and reopened it to the public. This marked our transition from a group of historians to a professional museum operator. The Society's next big leap took place in 1989, when we were asked by the City of Savannah to take over management responsibilities for the sprawling Central of Georgia Railway complex, a collection of more than a dozen 19th and early 20th century abandoned industrial buildings belonging to the City. In 1990, the Society was given management of the adjacent Savannah History Museum in the Central of Georgia Railway's 1860s-era passenger terminal and train shed. The museum had been opened as the Great Savannah Exposition in 1984. Since taking over operations at the railroad complex museums, the Society has worked to bring live steam and diesel railroading to the public. Our watershed accomplishments in this area include the unveiling of he fully-functional Georgia Power #30 steam locomotive in early 2007, and the acquisition of two working diesel locomotives in late 2008. We took another giant stride in 2003 with the unification of the entire downtown museums campus into one Battlefield Park, named for the massive 1779 Revolutionary War battle which took place on the ground now occupied by the historic railroad buildings. After the City of Savannah purchased the last reminaing 9.5 acres of railroad land in the middle of the campus, our archaeologists located traces of the British fortification at the center of the fighting in one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolution. In October 2007, the 228th anniversary of the battle, we cut a ribbon and dedicated a memorial on the site. The Society raised more than $140,000 for the archaeology and memorial. While the Society has practiced historic preservation techniques as required on all of the buildings in its care for more than three decades, we moved forward in this area in 2003, when we established our nationally-recognized, award-winning Buildings Preservation Team, which carries out steel, masonry, carpentry, and other work on our City-owned buildings and plans numerous projects. This work has been funded by tens of millions of dollars in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds from the City of Savannah and Chatham County, as well as a special bond from the State of Georgia.

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