WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Tybee Denies Developers Ft. Screven
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Tybee Island's historic Fort Screven will not be open to developers, at least for now. The Tybee Island City Council voted to keep developers from tearing down one of the batteries to build condominiums; however, the developer can ask again in six months.
Fort Screven was built in the late 1800s. It's been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982. Supporters say it's one of the last shore defenses constructed on American soil and one of Tybee's most unique features.
"This fort was here when the railroad was here," said Tybee Island resident Ed Cawley. "Soldiers were stationed here from 1897 until 1947, and this corner, this Fort Screven area, is so unique and so splendid that it needs to be preserved."
Cawley said the Fort Screven Preservation Organization wants to buy the property to make sure it is preserved and turn it over to the City of Tybee or an organization like the Tybee Historical Society.
To learn more about the Fort Screven Preservation Organization, go to: http://fortscrevenpreservation.org.
Reported by: Liz Flynn, lflynn@wtoc.com
