Old Fort Jackson is the oldest standing fort in Georgia. The original brick fort was begun in 1808 and was manned during the War of 1812. The fort was enlarged and strengthened between 1845 and 1860, and saw its greatest use as the headquarters for the Confederate river defenses during the civil war. Today, thousands of visitors to the fort see military hardware including projectiles and cannons from the, CSS Georgia, a confederate ironclad that is sunk in the Savannah River. Old Fort Jackson is one of Savannah's most popular tourist attractions with unmatched daytime educational and historical programs and "after hours" programs for groups of all ages.