Tybee Depot Entrance to Old Fort Jackson

Today the Tybee Depot serves as a ticket booth/gift shop for Old Fort Jackson in Thunderbolt, east of Savannah. For many years this depot served the citizens of Savannah as the first stop on the way to Tybee Island. It sat at 130 Randolph St. in downtown Savannah.

The Savannah and Tybee Railroad had been on the drawing block since 1883. At that time Tybee Beach was becoming popular with the wealthy Savannah residents and other, more affluent Americans. In 1885 the Savannah and Tybee Railroad was incorporated and Capt. D. G. Purse was president. The 18-mile journey from Savannah could take the better part of a day when construction of the railroad was begun on August 9, 1886. By the time the tracks reached Tybee Island in 1887 the railroad was in serious financial difficulty and filed for bankruptcy a year later.

The assets of the Savannah and Tybee Railroad were purchased by the Central of Georgia, which continued to run trains to the island. In 1925 a road from Savannah to Tybee was completed and the railroad eventually became unprofitable. It was abandoned in 1933. The railroad was torn up and a portion of the roadbed became today's Old Tybee Railroad Scenic Trail.

Location: Old Fort Jackson, Savannah, Georgia
Directions:
Additional information:

Date added: February 29, 2004
Last update: March 27, 2004