It was the 1830s and the South Carolina Railroad was diverting cotton and other products from Georgia’s Piedmont (between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the upper coastal plain) to Charleston. In response to this, Georgia organized the Central of Georgia Railway in 1833. By 1843 it reached from Savannah to the outskirts of Macon and was probably the single longest railway under one management in the world at the time.

Managing such an operation was huge. The Central was running over 50 locomotives and 500 cars. The complex known as the Roundhouse in Savannah was constructed as headquarters and repair shops for the Central of Georgia Railway. It was a state of the art facility on the cutting edge of technology. It had to be. The railway passed through the land of some of Georgia’s best cotton production and as such was a vital link in the antebellum economy.

When the War Between the States broke out the railroad took on the role of serving the Confederate military as well as providing manufacturing support until the summer of 1864. By then the Union forces had begun systematically destroying the railway; bridges, track, and rolling stock alike. Sherman’s troops would heat the tracks and tie them around trees forming what became known as “Sherman’s Bowties”, a term well associated with the path of destruction left behind in Sherman’s march to the sea.

The war was over and the railroad was in shambles. William Wadley became president of Central in 1866 and in a surprisingly short period of time and trains were up and running again. All destroyed connections were repaired and 1500 new miles added.

With recovery came growth and new opportunities for profit. Many shortlines connecting Georgia towns and cities were formed and the railroad expanded into Alabama and Tennessee. The expansion included the purchase of the Nancy Hanks, the fastest train in America in 1893.

Trains were big business, and with that come power struggles, mergers, and takeovers. After losing control to outside investors in 1892, the Central regained some independence as the reorganized Central of Georgia Railway in 1895 before the Illinois Central System acquired control in 1907.

Eventually, the Interstate Commerce Commission approved a plan by the Southern Railway to purchase a controlling interest in the company. The Central became a subsidiary of the Southern in 1963, which was in turn subsumed into the Norfolk Southern Corporation in 1982.

The buildings that make up the Roundhouse were no longer used at this point. They were totally abandoned by the early 1960s and destined for demolition. Twelve Savannah residents stepped forward and saved the buildings from that fate. Funds were invested by the city of Savannah to stabilize the buildings.

According to the official website of the Coastal Heritage Society, “Now the nonprofit Coastal Heritage Society is preserving and interpreting these amazing structures for today's visitors. The site is now a National historic Landmark, a "Save America's Treasures" Site, and Georgia's State Railroad Museum.

More than 40,000 visitors each year stroll through exhibits inside seven historic railroad structures and see our growing collection of locomotives and rolling stock. Our interpretive displays include a large model train layout of Savannah as well as exhibits explaining steam engines and belt-driven machinery. We have also restored the massive operating turntable in the middle of the Roundhouse.

The Roundhouse is put to good use in many ways that benefit the community. The museum is open from 9am – 5pm daily as a wonderful source of information, fascination, and history for visitors. It is also a venue for a wide variety of events including frequent musical performances.

Beginning the 22^nd of this month and lasting through July 15^th are Steam Days at the Roundhouse. During Steam Days visitors get the rare opportunity to see the massive turntable in action.

For more information about the Roundhouse Railroad Museum, visit their website at www.chsgeorgia.org/roundhouse.