| The Oglethorpe Club | |
| Named After: | General James Oglethorpe |
| Location City: | Savannah, Georgia |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Website: | https://oglethorpeclub.org/ |
| Location: | Savannah, Georgia |
The Oglethorpe Club is a historic members-only society in Savannah, Georgia.[1] Established in 1870,[2] [3] it is the oldest gentlemen's club in Georgia, 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,[4] immediately to the north of Forsyth Park.[5]
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]
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.
450 Bull Street, built in 1857 and also known as the Edmund Molyneux House, was designed by John S. Norris. Molyneux was consul at Savannah from 1832 to 1862.[14] After the Civil War, the house was purchased by Henry R. Jackson.[15]