The Oglethorpe Club is a private gentlemen's club in Savannah, Georgia, United States.[1] Established in 1870,[2][3] it is the oldest such club in Georgia,[4] and the seventh-oldest in the Southern United States, behind Cape Fear Club and ahead of The Athlestan Club. It is located at 450 Bull Street,[5] immediately to the north of Forsyth Park.[4]
 | |
 The club's home, 450 Bull Street, in 2022 | |
| Named after | General James Oglethorpe |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1870 |
| Location |
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| Website | https://oglethorpeclub.org/ |
According to Adelaide Wilson in Historic and Picturesque Savannah (1889), the club was organized on September 21, 1875. Twelve members were present. Its first president was George S. Owens. The club's maximum membership grew to 175 when The Chatham Club closed.[6] Membership was 350 by 2024.[7] Women are not allowed to be members, but can attend with her husband, as long as she wears a dress.[8]
The club features the Flagstone and Colonial rooms for formal events, as well as a tavern. Cell phone use inside the building is prohibited.[9]
It stands directly across Bull Street from the Armstrong House, the original owner of which—George Ferguson Armstrong—was a member of The Oglethorpe Club.
The Oglethorpe Club is named for General James Oglethorpe, who established the Savannah colony in 1733.[10]
Notable members
edit- George Ferguson Armstrong, businessman[11]
- Sonny Seiler, attorney[12]
An "unwritten rule" of the club is that members' money must be old, not new (that is, if you were not born with money, you were not permitted to become a member). It is for this reason that preservationist Jim Williams was not permitted to become a member.[13] In retaliation, in 1967 Williams purchased Armstrong House across the street.
Building
edit450 Bull Street, built in 1857 and also known as the Edmund Molyneux House, was designed by John S. Norris. Edmund Molyneux was consul at Savannah from 1832 to 1862.[14] After the Civil War, the house was purchased by Henry R. Jackson.[15]
References
edit- ^ Jr, The Estate of Walter J. Fraser (2018-03-08). Savannah in the New South: From the Civil War to the Twenty-First Century. Univ of South Carolina Press. ISBN 978-1-61117-837-1.
- ^ "Becoming Southern: the Jews of Savannah, Georgia, 1830-70," American Jewish History (Dec. 30, 2008)
- ^ Toledano, Roulhac (1997-04-03). The National Trust Guide to Savannah. John Wiley & Sons. p. 207. ISBN 978-0-471-15568-3.
- ^ a b Carlisle, Rodney; Carlisle, Loretta (2019-05-01). Savannah in History: A Guide to More Than 75 Sites in Historical Context. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-68334-028-7.
- ^ "The Oglethorpe Club". Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ Wilson, Adelaide (1889). Historic and Picturesque Savannah. subscribers. ISBN 978-0-7222-0863-2.
- ^ Gabbey, Neil. "Bohemian Hotel opens Coastal 15 with Executive Chef Luke Wolf at the helm". Connect Savannah. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ Jones, Denise Hildreth (2010-06-19). Savannah from Savannah / Savannah Comes Undone (2 novels in 1). Thomas Nelson Inc. ISBN 978-1-4185-5639-6.
- ^ "Guest Information | The Oglethorpe Club". Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ "A Stroll Through Jewish Savannah" – Tablet, June 13, 2014
- ^ Georgia: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form, in three volumes (1906) Volume 1, pp. 75 and 76
- ^ "Savannah Morning News Obituaries in Savannah, GA | Savannah Morning News". savannahnow.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ Jones, Denise Hildreth (2010-06-19). Savannah from Savannah / Savannah Comes Undone (2 novels in 1). Thomas Nelson Inc. p. 398. ISBN 978-1-4185-5639-6.
- ^ The British Foreign Service and the American Civil War, Eugene Berwanger (2014), p. 62 ISBN 9780813149493
- ^ Savannah, 1733 to 2000: Photographs from the Collection of the Georgia Historical Society, Susan E. Dick, Mandi D. Johnson, Georgia Historical Society (2001), p. 100 ISBN 9780738506883