Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
Deep River Lodge was an early twentieth century hunting lodge located in Jamestown, North Carolina. It was owned by Clarence Hungerford Mackay, a New York businessman and heir to a silver mine fortune, and managed by Edward “Ned” Armstrong, whose family, including his three daughters, lived on the property. This collection contains materials related to Deep River Lodge and the Armstrong family including correspondence, photographs, newspaper articles and publications, and artifacts.
Edward “Ned” Armstrong (1873-1948) was born in England to a family known for the breeding and care of hunting dogs. His father, Edward Armstrong, was an English dog breeder, and his brothers, John (Jack), Robert Kyle (Bob), and William (Billy), worked at American kennels. Around 1899, Edward Armstrong followed his brothers to America and soon began working for Clarence Hungerford Mackay.
Clarence H. Mackay (1874-1938) was the president of the Mackay Radio and Telegraph Company and chairman of the Postal Telegraph and Cable Corporation. His father, John William Mackay, had made a fortune on the silver and gold mines of Virginia City, Nevada. Clarence Mackay worked and lived in New York, but in 1904, he bought a tract of land near High Point for the construction of Deep River Lodge.
As the superintendent of Deep River Lodge, Edward Armstrong managed the kennels and saw to the management of the lodge. His family, which included his wife, Florence “Lollie” Amy Whittington Armstrong (1877-1966), and his young daughters Jean Armstrong (1903-1993), Georgie Armstrong (1905-1973), and Thora Armstrong Johnson (1907-1987), lived on the estate.
The lodge often hosted wealthy hunters from New York and beyond, including English lords, senators, Vanderbilts, and J.P. Morgan. In addition to his work at Deep River Lodge, Armstrong often traveled with Mackay to Mackay’s Harbor Hill estate on Long Island and for hunts on Gardiner’s Island and in Scotland.
After Clarence Mackay’s death in 1938, Edward Armstrong purchased the land that Deep River Lodge and the Armstrong house were located on. Much of this land remained in the Armstrong-Johnson family until it was sold in 2021.
This collection includes personal and professional correspondence, photographs, maps and blueprints, newspaper articles and publications, scrapbooks, photo albums, diaries, postcards, and artifacts. These encompass both the professional activities of Ned Armstrong regarding his employment with Clarence H. Mackay as well as the personal life of the Armstrong family, including Ned Armstrong’s three daughters who grew up at Deep River Lodge in the early twentieth century. Materials cover topics such as the management of Deep River Lodge; the raising, breeding, and showing of hunting dogs; the lives of the Armstrong family; the public perception of the Mackay family; and hunting in North Carolina and Scotland.
This collection is arranged in five series:
1. Edward Armstrong Correspondence 2. Lodge and Hunting Materials 3. Armstrong Family Papers 4. Photographs 5. Artifacts
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[Identification of item], Armstrong Family Collection on the Deep River Lodge, MC 00763, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Gift of William P. Johnson III, Bebe B. Johnson, Kory W. Johnson, Alexa B. Johnson, Kathleen R. Johnson, Edward A. Johnson II, Thomas R. Johnson, Matthew W. Johnson (August, 2024, Accession 2024.0087).
Processed and finding aid written by Katie Bushman, 2025 May.
The collection is organized into five principal series:
This series contains the personal and professional correspondence of Edward "Ned" Armstrong, primarily while working for Clarence H. Mackay, as well as the correspondence of his father, Edward Armstrong, an English dog breeder.
Series arranged chronologically.
Processed from bundle of envelopes tied with twine
Processed from bundle of envelopes tied with twine
Processed from bundle of envelopes tied with twine
Processed from bundle of envelopes tied with twine
Processed from bundle of envelopes tied with twine
Processed from bundle of envelopes tied with twine
Processed from bundle of envelopes tied with twine
Includes newspaper article, dog pedigrees
This collection contains materials relating to the management and property of Deep River Lodge; the breeding, raising, and showing of hunting dogs; hunting; and other personal and professional records. These materials include newspaper articles, supply lists and inventories, field dog catalogues, maps, blueprints, illustrations, and more.
Series is arranged alphabetically.
Includes photographs, newspaper articles, pedigree tree, award certificates regarding champion dog Ben of Bobbing, owned by F.C. Lowe
3 sheets
London auctions, sale of dogs from Armstrong kennels
London auctions, sale of dogs from Armstrong kennels
2 sheets
Notable names include Lord Ashburton, Mrs. Vincent Astor, Count de Bonvouloir, Lion Gardiner, Senator Walter Edge, Senator White, Devereux Milburn (American polo player), Alexander Obolensky (Russian prince and rugby player), Kermit Roosevelt, William Kissam Vanderbilt, and Count Laszlo Szechenyi
2 sheets
5 sheets
8 sheets
2 sheets
Includes land deeds, timber deeds, contracts, inventories, appraisals, and legal documents regarding the sale of land to Edward Armstrong after Clarence Mackay's death.
2 sheets
This series contains materials relating to the life of the Armstrong Family. Materials come primarily from Ned Armstrong’s three daughters, Jean, Georgie, and Thora, and his wife, Florence Amy Whittington Armstrong (Lollie). There are also materials regarding Ned’s three brothers, John (Jack), Robert Kyle (Bob), and William (Billy), as well as personal correspondence between members of the Armstrong and Mackay families, Georgie’s collection of postcards from North America and Europe, and memorabilia from the Armstrongs’ frequent transatlantic ocean liner crossings.
Series is arranged alphabetically.
Inserted in "The Girl Graduate"
Jack armstrong worked for George Jay Gould
Contains a scrapbook, handkerchiefs, and photographs
Bob Armstrong worked for J.P. Morgan and George Jay Gould
Includes mention of mock "cockfighting" and "horse racing" as deck games
Ships from the Cunard, White Star, and Red Star/American lines, including S.S. St. Louis, S.S. Arabic, R.M.S. Scythia, R.M.S. Franconia, S.S. Celtic, R.M.S. Lusitania, and R.M.S. Baltic
This series contains photographs of hunting dogs, photographs and albums of Mackay properties including Deep River Lodge and Gardiner's Island, photographs of the Armstrong and Mackay families, and hunting photographs.
Series is arranged alphabetically.
Access to physical material and digital files not available online may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room after staff review.
Some materials may not have been digitized or made available online.
Includes a photo of "Buffalo Bill's pair" -- potentially Annie Oakley and Frank E. Butler
Access to physical material and digital files not available online may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room after staff review.
Some materials may not have been digitized or made available online.
Access to physical material and digital files not available online may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room after staff review.
Some materials may not have been digitized or made available online.
Photographs include Mackay boy with dogs (2), Clarence Mackay portrait to Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong; Men and women with horses; “Mr. B. Irish’s Papyrus, by Tracery - Miss Matty (The Winner of the Derby 1923)”; Dog portraits (2, 2 copies each); Portrait of Charlotte Fairchild; Michael Mackay, age seven, 1938; Wedding portrait; Clarence Mackay portrait, 1917; Mackay family portrait (Clarence Mackay with John, Ellin, and Katherine); Clarence Mackay portrait, undated; Unnamed 1926 portrait; Autograph portrait of William Mackay; man and dogs; rolled graduation photos.
This series contains artifacts related to hunting and life at Deep River Lodge. Additional artifacts from the lodge and kennels can be found in the collections of the High Point Museum.
Series is arranged alphabetically.
Imprint on the figures reads: "Copyright Britains LTD, Made in England." Britains LTD is a British toy brand that started in the 1890s. Some of the toys have articulated arms.
Includes small figurines of people on horses, people standing, and hunting dogs.
Three dog collars and a small metal crest that says "Ben Alder, Oct. 5 1900, C. Browlow, 12 stones."
Six pieces. Some items are engraved "CHM."
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111
Phone: (919) 515-2273
[Identification of item], Armstrong Family Collection on the Deep River Lodge, MC 00763, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.