Chatham County Police investigate second break-in at Old Fort Jackson since Thanksgiving

Drew Favakeh, Savannah Morning News
·2 min read

Chatham County Police are investigating another break-in at Old Fort Jackson, the circa-1808 brick fortification on the Savannah River.

When Old Fort Jackson staff came to work on the Friday morning after Thanksgiving, they found the National Historic Landmark had been robbed, said Nora Fleming, Coastal Heritage Society's chief operations officer.  Someone had broken into a safe in the gift shop and had rifled around the office. The burglar stole all the keys to the fort, said Fleming.

Coastal Heritage Society interpreter Alex Egart works to clean up the room where uniforms and other items were stored at Old Fort Jackson.
Coastal Heritage Society interpreter Alex Egart works to clean up the room where uniforms and other items were stored at Old Fort Jackson.
Books and other items are strewn around the library at Old Fort Jackson following a break in on Dec. 10, 2022.
Books and other items are strewn around the library at Old Fort Jackson following a break in on Dec. 10, 2022.

“We changed our locks, we tightened some security measures,” said Fleming.

CHS changed the location of money storage and increased the amount of times Chatham County Police Department patrolled the fort. “They came in and called us about, you know, a door that was difficult to lock and they found it unlocked,” said Fleming.

The second break-in occurred last Friday, and this time, Fleming said, the damage was far worse.

Holiday Safety:Holiday Safety: Protect against porch pirates this holiday season

On Friday night, Old Fort Jackson staff held an after-hours holiday party. Partygoers left the property at 11:30 p.m. that night, Fleming said.

The next morning at 7:45 a.m., staff arrived on the property. That’s when they saw somebody running through the woods, Fleming said. Police arrived and, according to Fleming, they found “that we had a major break-in.”

Workers had to replace several doors as well as make other repairs at Old Fort Jackson following a break in on Dec. 10, 2022. It was the second break-in at the fort since Thanksgiving.
Workers had to replace several doors as well as make other repairs at Old Fort Jackson following a break in on Dec. 10, 2022. It was the second break-in at the fort since Thanksgiving.
Coastal Heritage Society interpreter Aaron Bradford leads a history program on Dec. 14, 2022 at Old Fort Jackson. A thief broke into the fort on Dec. 10 and stole several of the weapons and uniforms used by the interpreters.
Coastal Heritage Society interpreter Aaron Bradford leads a history program on Dec. 14, 2022 at Old Fort Jackson. A thief broke into the fort on Dec. 10 and stole several of the weapons and uniforms used by the interpreters.

“In the first burglary, the only thing that was taken was money, really,” said Fleming. “But the second time, it was much more tactical. It felt so professional. They transported everything out through the woods because. There was no car on property.”

Fourteen of the fort's historic wooden doors were broken. Although cash was not taken this time, the burglar (or burglars) made away with reproduction historic pistols, period uniforms, and liquor.

Fleming and the staff are working with CCPD to compile an itemized list of stolen items. “Really, the worst part about this whole situation is the amount of damage that was caused when this guy broke in and he just trashed the whole place.”

Drew Favakeh is the public safety reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County Police investigate two break-ins at Old Fort Jackson