Yamacraw Village in Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Boiler Room
Photographed By Don Morfe, September 22, 2013
1. Boiler Room Marker
The Boiler Room supplied power for the entire complex. The ornate design of this building symbolizes the importance of its function to the site.
The Boiler Room was the heart of the site, pumping steam power and heat throughout the complex. Workers fed the boiler fire with either wood chips from the Carpenters’ Shop or coal. The resulting steam powered the steam engine by turning a flywheel, which turned a line shaft. The rotating line shaft ran into the Blacksmith Shop, the Machine Shop, and other buildings. The shaft was connected by belts and its rotation powered saws, drills, and other machines. Electricity replaced the shops steam power in the early 1900s, however, steam from the Boiler Room continued to heat the buildings on the site.
“The boiler is of locomotive pattern, and provided with steam and mercurial gauges, and all usual fixtures.” — Daily Morning News, Savannah, July 17, 1855
* Brick details & plaster walls made this the most ornate building on site
* 1850s insulation of original stationary steam engine made by A. N. Miller, a Savannah firm
* 1865 Spark ignited roof and burned interior plaster
* 1950 Front wall removed, possibly to scrap the steam engine, wall rebuilt in the 1970s
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars
this page online
Location. 32° 4.5′ N, 81° 6.133′ W. Marker is in Savannah, Georgia, in Chatham County. It is in Yamacraw Village. Marker can be reached from Louisville Road, 0.2 miles east of West Boundary Street, on the right when traveling east. The marker is located on the grounds of the Georgia State Railroad Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 655 Louisville Road, Savannah GA 31401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Planing Shed & Lumber Shed (here, next to this marker); Central Of Georgia Railroad (here, next to this marker); Smokestack (within shouting distance of this marker); Blacksmith Shop (within shouting distance of this marker); Storehouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Drop Table (within shouting distance of this marker); Turntable (within shouting distance of this marker); Machine Shop (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Savannah.
Also see . . .
1. Georgia State Railroad Museum. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on October 3, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Coastal Heritage Society. Website homepage (Submitted on October 3, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Don Morfe, September 22, 2013
2. Boiler Room Marker
Photographed By Byron Hooks, March 11, 2014
3. The Boiler
Photographed By Byron Hooks, March 11, 2014
4. The steam engine
Photographed By Byron Hooks, March 11, 2014
5. The steam engine
Credits. This page was last revised on October 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 17, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 516 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 17, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 24, 2014, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
