Charleston & Savannah Railroad Chartered in 1854, this 120-mile line was built to serve as a link in a potential seaboard route through the Carolinas and Georgia. Such a railroad, it was thought, would enhance the prosperity of the coastal region and make it more competitive with the rapidly growing upcountry. Construction of the C&S began in February 1856. After numerous delays and unanticipated expenses, the line finally opened in 1860. After extensive service to the Confederacy during the Civil War, it was reorganized in 1866 as the Savannah and Charleston Railroad. The road did not reopen for traffic until 1869-70, however, due to its thorough destruction by Sherman's forces. Suggested Reading: H. David Stone, Jr. Vital Rails; The Charleston & Savannah Railroad and the Civil War in Coastal South Carolina. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2008.   1864 map of Georgia segment (205K) Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. Copyright, Steve Storey. Railroad History | The Depot List | Locomotives On Display | Odds & Ends | Sources & References | Home