History

A sonar image of the CSS Georgia

In 1968, a dredge clearing the harbor bottom struck something hard and unmoving. When operators brought the machinery up out of the water, they found rusted iron rails wrapped around it. The Georgia was rediscovered. Divers visited the Georgia’s wreck in the 1970’s and 1980’s, with hopes of one day raising her remains for preservation and display. But technology at the time proved not to be up to the task. Many valuable historic items were pulled from the wreckage, including cannons, ammunition, and tools used by the ship’s crew. The Georgia herself was to remain virtually undisturbed for another two decades.