By Eric Curl
Jan. 22, 2025 – This week, Savannah’s Ralston College sold the Noble Hardee mansion at 3 West Gordon St. and a Gothic Revival church on West Bolton St.
The sales mark “a crucial milestone” in the nonprofit liberal arts college’s strategic plan to expand its scholarship-funded Master’s degree program and public lectures and concerts, according to a press release issued in response to an inquiry from Savannah Agenda.
The college did not identify the buyer of the properties, only stating that it was an “American investor with a passion for and depth of experience conserving historic properties.”
Constructed in 1869, the Noble Hardee mansion on Monterey Square previously housed Alex Raskin Antiques. Ralston acquired the property for $3.5 million in May 2022 to use for classrooms, offices and a library, as previously reported.
In September 2023, the college purchased the historic church building on West Bolton for $2.2 million from Savannah architect Christian Sottile, according to property records. The church was constructed in 1911 and the college was granted a special use permit to establish an educational use there in 2023, as recorded in the Metropolitan Planning Commission’s meeting minutes.
The college now leases academic, administrative and residential spaces owned by luxury hotel developer Richard Kessler and Parker’s CEO Greg Parker. The properties include the former Parker’s headquarters at 17 W. McDonough St., along with Kessler-owned properties: the 3-story commercial building at 134 Whitaker St. and the historic Mills B. Lane mansion at 26 E. Gaston St. on Forsyth Park’s north end.
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The three buildings provide optimal space for the continued delivery of the first phase of its graduate program and the funds previously earmarked for the renovation of the historic properties can now directly fuel the growth of the college’s programs, student support and the “expansion of its vision and mission,” according to the college.
About Ralston College:
Ralston College is in the midst of its admissions cycle, which will assemble the College’s fourth consecutive cohort to be admitted to their degree of Master of Arts in the Humanities in Spring 2026. The College’s intensive one-year graduate program, which traces the development of Western civilization from ancient times to the present, includes an eight-week term in Greece followed by three terms in Savannah, Georgia. Founded in 2010, Ralston College is a private, 501(c)(3) institution of higher education. The College has been authorized for operation and awarded degree-granting powers by the State of Georgia. Ralston College is also seeking accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education, and was authorized on November 16th, 2023 to publish the following statement: “The New England Commission of Higher Education has determined that Ralston College is eligible to proceed with an application for candidacy for accreditation within two years. A determination of eligibility is not candidacy or accreditation, nor does it indicate a likelihood of eventual accreditation. Questions about eligibility and the accreditation process should be directed to the President of the Commission.” Ralston College is devoted to freedom of thought and speech, has no political or religious affiliations, and does not accept government funds. Its mission is to revive the conditions of a free and flourishing culture by providing transformative, rigorous education in the humanities. In addition to its degree program, the College also hosts free, public lecture series and concerts which, since its first academic year in 2022, have welcomed more than 2.000 guests. To date, the College’s podcasts and online lectures–also available for free–have reached millions. Source: Ralston College
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