The Armstrong House

This four-story Italian Renaissance structure of granite and glazed brick was designed by Henrik Wallin (AIA) and built from 1916-19 under the general contractorship of Olaf Otto. It was the home of George Ferguson Armstrong (1868 - 1924), Lucy Camp Armstrong, and their daughter, Lucy. Born in Guyton, Georgia, Mr. Armstrong was a member of the Cotton Exchange and the Oglethorpe Club. His maritime and shipping ingenuity at Strachan Shipping Company during World War I earned him a national reputation.

On May 27, 1935, under the visionary leadership of Savannah Mayor Thomas Gamble, a city-supported junior college was approved by the Savannah City Council. Mrs. Lucy Camp Armstrong Moltz and her daughter, Mrs. W. R. Johnson, gave the Armstrong home and gardens to the City as the centerpiece of the 1.3 acre college grounds, which eventually included nine buildings.

Classes began in September of 1935 with 175 students. The opening was recognized in The Atlanta Constitution with the observation that Armstrong Junior College was "the finest and most costly junior college building in the United States."

Growth forced the college into the University System of Georgia in 1959. Five years later, Armstrong Junior College became a senior college - Armstrong State College - and moved in January of 1966 to the southside on property donated by the Lane Foundation.  Historic Savannah purchased the Armstrong building from the State of Georgia. In 1970, the law firm of Bouhan, Williams & Levy acquired the home from antique dealer and preservationist James A. Williams.

Click to read the South Magazine - June/July 2009 Article on The Armstrong House for more information and photographs. (Article Copyright South Magazine, 2009.  Used with permission.)  (Adobe Reader is required.)