The Tybee Museum is located in Fort Screven, built as part of America's defences during the Spanish-American war of the late nineteenth century. Although de-commissioned in 1947 much of the fort and its building still survive. The museum is located in one of the gun battery's that lined the beach. Perhaps the most interesting feature of the museum is its location in Battery Garland of Fort Screven. Battery Garland was constructed between 1898 and 1899. It was originally used to mount a huge 12 inch “non-disappearing” rifled long range cannon on top of the battery.
Within the walls of Battery Garland are seven rooms which contain artifacts and exhibits covering more than five centuries of history. Most of the lower rooms which now contain the Museum’s exhibits were originally used to store smokeless gun powder and projectiles which weighed over 700 pounds each. Battery Garland was named in honor of Colonel John Garland, Eighth Infantry, who “served with distinction in the Florida War, and died on January 5, 1861.”
The Battery was used as part of America’s Coastal Defense System until 1947 when it was decommissioned.
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