Fort James Jackson
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Old Fort Jackson
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Moat at Fort Jackson
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| Location | Islands Expwy., Chatham County, near Savannah, Georgia |
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| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Built | 1808 |
| Architect | William McRee |
| Architectural style | No Style Listed |
| NRHP Reference # | 70000200 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 18, 1970[1] |
| Designated NHL | February 16, 2000[2] |
Fort James Jackson (usually called Old Fort Jackson or shortened to Fort Jackson) named after James Jackson) is a restored 19th century fort located two miles east of Savannah on the Savannah River. It is a National Historic Landmark and the oldest standing brick fort in the U.S. state of Georgia.[3]
U.S. President Thomas Jefferson authorized the construction of a national defense system of fortifications to defend his new nation. Jefferson's system included Fort Jackson, constructed between 1808 and 1812 over an old earthen battery from the American Revolution. At the time, war with Great Britain or France seemed likely, and Fort Jackson was the best site from which to protect Savannah from attack by sea. In the War of 1812, local militias and U.S. troops saw active duty at Fort Jackson. After the War of 1812, two periods of construction followed at the fort. A moat, drawbridge, brick barracks, privies, a rear wall, and another powder magazine were added.[3]
James Jackson, the namesake of the fort, was a British native who fought for the American cause and rose to the rank of colonel. When he was twenty-five, Jackson accepted the surrender of the British in Savannah at the close of the revolution. He was later a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and Governor of Georgia. He is interred at the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C..[3]
During the American Civil War, Fort Jackson, along with nearby Fort McAllister and Fort Pulaski, defended Savannah from Union attack. In 1862, Fort Jackson was shelled from a ship captained by an escaped slave named Robert Smalls.
When the Union Army commanded by William T. Sherman captured Savannah by land on December 20, 1864, Confederate troops abandoned the fort and retreated across the Savannah River into South Carolina. Confederate troops from Savannah joined other forces in North Carolina and South Carolina and continued to fight until April 26, 1865, when they surrendered to General Sherman's army at Durham, North Carolina. Several different regiments garrisoned Fort Jackson during the Union occupation of Savannah. One of these units was the 55th Massachusetts Regiment, which consisted of African American troops.[3]
From 1884 to 1905, Fort Jackson was known as Fort Oglethorpe and was little used by the U.S. military. It was purchased by the city of Savannah in 1924 for park purposes but not fully restored until the 1970s.[2][4]
Fort Jackson is located at 1 Fort Jackson Road,[4] on the Islands Expressway linking Savannah to Fort Pulaski and the town of Tybee Island.[2]
Fort Jackson is owned by the state of Georgia and operated as a museum by Coastal Heritage Society, which also manages Savannah History Museum, Georgia State Railroad Museum (formerly the Railroad Roundhouse Museum), Savannah Children's Museum and, most recently, Pin Point Heritage Museum.[3]
In the summer the fort has a daily cannon-firing demonstration. Admission is $7 for adults.
Contents
Photos
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Fort James Jackson National Landmark plaque, Georgia, US.jpg
National Historic Landmark plaque
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Fort James Jackson main entrance, Georgia, US.jpg
Main entrance
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Fort James Jackson, outside wall, Georgia, US.jpg
Outside wall
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Fort James Jackson, inside, Georgia, US.jpg
Inside the fort from ground level
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Fort James Jackson from wall, Georgia, US.jpg
View of the inside of the fort from the wall
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Fort James Jackson cannon, Georgia, US.jpg
Cannon on the wall
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Fort James Jackson, firing windows from outside, Georgia, US.jpg
Windows for firing rifles
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Fort James Jackson inside wall, Georgia, US.jpg
Inside wall showing rifle-firing windows
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Fort James Jackson, firing window, Georgia, US.jpg
Close-up view of rifle-firing window
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Rifle display at Fort James Jackson, Savannah, GA IMG 4696.JPG
Rifle display
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Cannon at Fort James Jackson IMG 4699.JPG
Cannon displayed on Savannah River
See also
- Battle of Fort Pulaski, Background
- CSS Georgia (ironclad), sank in river next to Fort James Jackson
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Georgia (U.S. state)
- National Register of Historic Places in Chatham County, Georgia
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Old Fort Jackson brochure
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. and Accompanying five photos, exterior and interior, from 1998 PDF (32 KB)
External links
- Old Fort Jackson - official site
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
| Topics | |
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| Lists by state |
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| Lists by insular areas | |
| Lists by associated state | |
| Other areas | |
| Related | |
- Pages with broken file links
- National Historic Landmarks in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Buildings and structures in Chatham County, Georgia
- Forts in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Museums in Savannah, Georgia
- Historical society museums in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Military and war museums in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state)
