Fort Screven

In 1786, the Legislature of Georgia passed a law providing for a fort on Cockspur or Tybee Island to be named in honor of Revolutionary War hero General James Screven, but the state never built it. In 1808, the federal government obtained jurisdiction over the property on Tybee Island now known as Fort Screven Reservation. Actual title was acquired in 1875, and the post, established in 1898, remained in continuous use from the Spanish-American War through both World Wars. Primarily a Coast Artillery fort, it at one time had Fort Fremont in South Carolina under its jurisdiction. It later became an infantry post and finally a school for deep-sea diving. Many distinguished officers served there, including General George C. Marshall as colonel in command. In 1945, the War Department declared Fort Screven surplus, and the town of Savannah Beach acquired it.

Tybee Island, Georgia · United States