Ralston College has purchased the historic church at 115 W. Bolton St. from architect Christian Sottile for $2.2 million. The property was originally listed for $2.45 million, according to LoopNet.com.
Sottile purchased the former Friendship Baptist Church for $625,000 in 2018, based upon Chatham County property records, after the congregation moved to the south side of Savannah. Sottile restored the structure, built in 1911 and listed among contributing structures to the Victoria Historic District.
Reporting by former Savannah Morning New reporter Eric Curl in 2018 revealed that several former church properties in and around downtown Savannah had sold because churches were having a hard time growing their congregations, especially where parking was at a premium and historic properties cost too much maintenance, upkeep and repair.
Ralston College, founded by Stephen Blackwood in Savannah, offers a master's degree-focused classics education, anchored by the study of Greek and Roman literature, particularly in the areas of moral philosophy. It owns the former Noble Hardee mansion on Monterrey Square and a property in the Thomas Square neighborhood.
College spokesperson Katie Rook said, "The college intends to restore and renovate this beautiful, historic property for future use as its library."
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Here are the full lists of property transfers for Chatham, Bryan and Effingham counties. The Savannah Morning News publishes the records weekly, and the databases include transactions from prior weeks, starting with March 2023.
Chatham County sales
Bryan County sales
Effingham County sales
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: bryan chatham effingham county property transfers for week of September 25 2023