Ligon Flynn - Triangle Modernist Houses - America's Largest Archive of Residential Modernist Design

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LIGON BROADUS FLYNN, FAIA (1931-2010)

Ligon Flynn grew up in Tryon NC, the son of a rural postal carrier. He graduated from the NCSU School of Design in 1959 and taught there 1963-1967 while also in private practice. In 1971, Henry Johnston joined him as a partner. They moved to Wilmington in 1972 to work with Young Smith designing houses for Figure Eight Island, shown below, a large oceanfront vacation community. The partnership with Johnston ended in 1976 and Flynn has had his own firm since.

Flynn received six AIANC design awards plus the Kamphoefner Prize. His architectural practice encompassed institutional, commercial and residential work including projects such as the Gregg Museum at NCSU; St. John's Museum of Art; his own office at 15 South Second St; Hospice Inpatient Care Facility in Wilmington and numerous residential projects, many of which are on Figure Eight Island. His core design philosophy included "every building must have a garden." In 2007, he wrote Tobacco Barns, a book of photographs published thru Lulu Books. In 2009, he retired after a stroke and died in 2010.

Here's a more comprehensive list of Flynn houses on Figure Eight Island.

1952 - The Broadus and Jane Flynn House I, aka Serendipity, 260 Country Club Heights Road, Tryon NC. It was the first retirement home for Flynn's parents, designed when he was a junior at NCSU. In the early 1950’s the family bought a small mountain that would become known as Country Club Heights. All the houses (six) on the hill except for one was designed by Flynn or Holland Brady Jr. or the two of them together. Serendipity clearly shows the influence on Flynn by Frank Lloyd Wright and Buckminster Fuller. Note that the living room is hexagonal, and depressed by three steps, with the ceiling being inverted to come to a point 9 feet above the floor to allow for higher windows and take advantage of the mountain view, while not creating a huge amount of dead space with a flat ceiling. Sold to Robert Jordan. Sold several times. Sold to artist Guntram Gersch, and restored to much of its original condition. Will be included in a book Architecture of Tryon NC by Michael McCue. Photos by Carolyn Ashburn.

Late 1950's - The Broadus and Jane Flynn House II, Country Club Heights Road, Tryon NC. It was the second retirement home for Flynn's parents, as Serendipity turned out to be too large for them. Photo by Shields Flynn, his brother.

1956 - The George T. and Mary Flynn Moore House I, 346 Country Club Heights Road, Tryon NC. Mary Moore was Flynn's sister. This was collaboration between Ligon Flynn and Holland Brady (Flynn's brother-in-law with a different sister). Built by George T. Moore. There have been a number of modifications since the frist two pictures were taken, for example, a railing was added on the living room steps. For sale in 2011.

1962 - The Howard D. and Mary Alexander House, 365 Meredith Street, Raleigh. Designed with Joe Hoskins. Originally built as a spec house, the Alexanders bought it about halfway through construction.

Late 1970's - Flynn designed his office on the upper level of
Chandler’s Wharf, Front Street, on the Cape Fear River in Wilmington.

1970's through the 1980's - The Burch-Cowan Residence, later renovated into an Artist Studio/Museum as part of the St. John’s Gallery, corner of Second and Orange Streets, Wilmington. The Gallery was a merger of this house and two other buildings: the oldest Masonic Lodge in North Carolina, and the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Photos provided by Steve Cofer.

1978 - The David Bryan Residence, 156 Ellerslie Drive, Fayetteville NC. As of 2011 still owned by David Bryan.

1979 - The George T. and Mary Flynn Moore House II, 504 Wilderness Road, Tryon NC. Also built by George T. Moore. Photos by Shields Flynn. Commissioned 1978.

1981 - The Joseph and Doris Marshall Residence, 3 Surf Court, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Sold in 2005 to David and Linda Lewis. Bottom photo provided by Steve Cofer.

1983 - The Leon Melvin Residence, 179 Beach Road South, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Sold in 1986 to CJ and Charlotte Russell. Sold in 1994 to Gerald Wolford. Sold in 2005 to Daniel Rizzo. Sold again in 2005 to Howard and Agnes Woltz. Sold to Edwin Woltz. Sold to Joan Robins. Bottom photo provided by Steve Cofer.

Around 1982 - The General William Lyon Residence, 16 Comber Road, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Flynn designed “a home that was comfortable, yet with a formal feeling” for the owner of Figure Eight Island that could be used as a model for others. The interiors were designed by Steven Chase of Palm Springs. Destroyed by fire in 1985. Replaced by a new house in 1996, bottom photo. Sold to Figure 8 Point LLC. Top three photos provided by Steve Cofer.

1981 - The Judith and James Loutit House, 278 Beach Road North, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Renovated 1991. Sold to Christopher C. Loutit. Bottom photo provided by Steve Cofer.

1982 - The Chester and Geraldine Eskey Residence, 207 Beach Road North, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Sold to Montgomery Marketing. Has been greatly expanded, bottom photo. Sold to M. D. and Patricia Montgomery. Top photo provided by Steve Cofer.

1983 - The Roberts E. (Bob) and Kay Timberlake, Sr. House, 255 Beach Road North, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Built by Ted Crews. Timberlake’s father supplied the prehistoric clam shells embedded in the garden walls and Robert Timberlake, a cousin, built the iron entry gate that provides a glimpse of the deeply shaded outdoor space and a flash of sound and sky beyond it. The house is an extended octagonal plan offering multi-directional views of surf and sound. Includes a large guest house to the south, bottom photo. Sold in 2002 to Poppa and KK LLC. Bottom three photos provided by Steve Cofer.

1983 - The Rene and Diane Koun Residence, 513 Beach Road North, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Sold in 1993 to Fenton and Patricia Hord. Bottom photo provided by Steve Cofer.

1984 - The George and Lelia Birrell Residence, 218 Beach Road North, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Noted for its stair stepping windows. Built by Steve Weiss. Photos provided by Steve Cofer. Sold in 1995 to to William and Jeanette Reid. Has been added on and modified by Flynn, bottom photo.

1984 - The Christopher and Leslie Fleming House, 1 Salters Road, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Sold in 1993 to Francis and Ann Lineweaver.

1984 - The Smith House, 2 Oyster Catcher Road, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Sold in 1990 to John H. Dariel Buczek. Photo provided by Steve Cofer.

1984 - The Ed and Nancy Cornelius House, 262 Beach Road North, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Sold in 1986 to C & H Enterprises. Sold in 2004 to Michael and Jill Murray. Sold to Murray's Retreat LLC in 2009. Photo provided by Steve Cofer.

1985 - The Thomas and Candace Simmons Residence, 249 Beach Road North, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Designed and built to retain a large live oak tree. Built using Sonotube concrete columns by Ted Crews. Photos provided by Steve Cofer. As of 2011 still owned by the Simmons.

1985 - The Robert Doherty Residence, 17 Oyster Catcher Road, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. A linear residence on the north side of the island, the house is three buildings under one connecting roof: a Garage/Studio, the Main Residence with Master Bedroom, and a three Bedroom extension. Built by Steve Weiss. Remodeled in 2006. As of 2011 still owned by the Robert Doherty. Photos provided by Steve Cofer. Video.

1985 - The McKinney Residence, Beach Road North, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. A four-building complex to be built of concrete on the island's highest rise, the layout and design had minimal impact on the existing live oak trees. Unbuilt. Photos provided by Steve Cofer.

1987 - Flynn's office at 15 South Second Street, Wilmington NC. Renovation of an existing building that was originally a livery stable and then a car dealership. The layout was designed around a walled in garden with terraces, water fountain and a variety of plantings. Photos by Jerry Markatos.

1987 - The Tim and Sue Edwards Residence, Jacksonville NC.

1991 - The Robertson Residence, Middle Sound, Wilmington. Built by Weiss Construction of Wilmington. Photos by Jerry Merkatos. Commissioned 1989. Address unknown. Do you know where it is?

2002 - The James (Chip) and Marguerite (Peggy) Mahan House, 49 Pipers Neck Road, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Sold in 2005 to Lucia Hughes.

2007 - The Shields Flynn Shelter, aka Japanese Teahouse. Ligon's Flynn's project for his brother, his last in Tryon, and one of his very last designs before his stroke. Designed for the Flynns to relax in a hammock, or entertain friends while listening to the sounds of two mountain streams that converge about 30 feet below the deck of the main house (not designed by Ligon Flynn).

2009 - The Bell House, 201 Beach Road North, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Built on the site of another modern house, bottom two photos.

2010 - The Ellison Residence, aka Ligon Point, 3 Dunes Point Road, Figure Eight Island, Wilmington NC. Designed for three Ellison siblings. Commissioned 2009. Built by the Farlow Group. Landscape design by David Erwin. Interior design by Jane Ellison. Ligon Flynn passed away in September 2010 but not before he toured this his final triumph. He shared a few last words about the house: "The single most precious thing to have is a breeze. Its free. I wanted there to always be a breeze." Photos by Joshua Curry.

Sources include: Former employees Steve Cofer, Ginny Woodruff, and Carl Lorenz; client Howard
Alexander; brother Shields Flynn; Wilmington Star-News, Wrightsville Beach Magazine.