Triangle Modernist Houses

Compiled by George Smart, Jr.                                                          

GEORGE MILTON SMALL, JR., FAIA (1916-1992)

Small was born in Collinsville, Oklahoma. He graduated with two Bachelors degrees from the University of Oklahoma, one in architecture and one in engineering.  He later attended the Illinois Institute of Technology where he studied under Mies van der Rohe. In Chicago he worked for Perkins/Will and Hudgins Thompson and Ball. 

At the recommendation of Henry Kamphoefner, who was his professor at Oklahoma, Small relocated to North Carolina in 1948 to be Chief Designer for William Henley Deitrick, at the time Raleigh's largest architectural firm and the most committed to modernist design.  While there he designed the now-destroyed modernist Carolina Country Club clubhouse.   He left in 1949 to start his own firm.  In the 1950s, he partnered with Joseph Boaz, also formerly from Oklahoma.

Small is noted for many buildings, including Carter-Finley Stadium, the NCSU Student Center, WRAL TV studios (assisting partner Joseph Boaz), St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Durham's Home Security Life Building, and his prolific modernist houses below.  His son, G. Milton III, is principal at the firm, now called Small Kane Architects.  According to his son, Small also designed 100-200 homes in the Drewry Hills area of Raleigh.

1951- The Robert Rothstein House, 2337 Churchill Road, Raleigh.  This house was Small's first residential commission after leaving William Deitrick's firm.   The house includes radiant heated floors (the popular feature of that era) and a circular driveway with carport.  Sold in 1977 to Grover and Jane Cauthen.  Sold in 1985 to Adam Thomson.  Sold in 2000 to Margaret Poyner Galbraith.  Davidson and Jones built the original house; Frank Walser built a separate wing around 1952 for Rothstein's mother and father.  The Rothstein brothers would become big clients for Milton Small.

1951 – The G. Milton Small, Jr. Residence,  310 Lake Boone Trail, Raleigh.  Bought in 1990 by Parley Avery Salmon.  Built by Frank Walser.  Photos by David Hunt.

1952 - The Frank and Ellen Walser Residence, 1911 McDonald Lane (Old Hillsboro Road), Raleigh.  Sold to Hester Gregory in 1983.  Sold to current owner Nancy Faircloth in 1986. 

1953 - 423 Chesterfield Road, Raleigh.  Built for Glenn and Flora Bowers. Bought by Raymond and Emma Catlette in 1966.  Bought by Robert Hawkins in 1989.  Bought by Bob Langford in 1996.  Bought by Marilyn Miller-Fox in 2000.  Bought by Erik and Stacie Schreiner in 2004.

1953 - The Wade Columbus Lewis and Margaret Watts Lewis Residence, off a dirt road at the end of Manning Place, Raleigh.  Uniquely built over a stream on what was the original Lewis family farm property.   The house is now being repaired but looks as if it had previously been abandoned for a long period.   Sold to a nephew Richard Watts in 1999. The current owner is Truswood Properties which also owns the adjacent lots to the north.

1954 - 106 John Street, Louisburg, NC.  The Thomas  and Lois Wheless House has 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths. Sold for $235,000 by Preservation North Carolina in 2007 to Ken and Merrie Ketterer.  He is an architect from Alabama.  Pictures by Preservation North Carolina. 

1954 - The Norval Neil and Ermina Luxon Residence, 27 Mount Bolus Road, Chapel Hill.  Luxon was the newly appointed Dean at the UNC School of Journalism when he commissioned this house.  Luxon died in 1989, and the house was sold to current owners Timothy Isley and David Johnson in 1992.  They added on a very nice two-story addition, shown above, onto the original structure. 

1954 - Donald B. and Marian R. Anderson Residence, 2715 Rosedale Avenue, Raleigh.   Sold to Arthur Clovis, Jr. in 1959.  Sold to General Motors in 1966.  Sold to Charles J. Nusbaum in 1966.  Sold to Sallie Ricks in 1988. 

1956 - The Stahl Residence,  3017 Granville Drive, Raleigh. Owned by Paul and Carol Stahl.  Previously owned by Paul's parents, the original clients.

1957 - Small's partner Joseph Boaz (below) designed himself a house at 3309 Milton Road, Raleigh.  It won an AIANC award in 1962. Sold to Charles Jones in 1966.  Sold to Lynn Gottlieb in 1974.  Sold to Whan Su Kang in 1976.  Sold to Michael Morris in 1998.  Sold to current owner Eva Garland in 2004.  Primarily, the design was by Boaz.

1958 - The Lillian Allen Residence, 2602 Cambridge Road, Raleigh.  After her death it was sold to Carolyn and James McChesney in 1987.  Bought by current owner Charles Reeves in 1988. 

1958 - The Howard Manning Residence, 2100 and 2104 Banbury, Raleigh.  A house on two lots, now destroyed.  The lots were recombined and sold to current owners Thomas and Amanda Williams.  Bruce Maness is the new home's builder and designer. 

1959 - The Gregory Poole Residence, 2745 Lakeview Drive, Raleigh. Designed with George Matsumoto.  Built by Frank Walser.  During its heyday, it was the most striking house in Raleigh, second only to the Catalano House.  Now destroyed.  See the full story here.

1959 -- Rothstein's brother, Philip Rothstein, lived at 912 Williamson Drive, Raleigh.  Built by Frank Walser.  Rothstein died in 1976 and his heirs sold the house to the Crossland Company.  Bought in 1979 by Alfred Williams III, who sold it in 1981 to current owner Marita Higgins Gilliam. Picture at upper right by Sally Greene.

1962 - A third brother, Al  Rothstein, and his wife Sara, lived at 2100 Barfield Court, Raleigh.  Built by Frank Walser.  Now owned by Mary Martin.  Pictures by Lyn Satisky, Al's daughter.

1962 – The Frank and Jean Anderson Jr. House, 2505 York Road, Raleigh.  Anderson owned Sir Walter Chevrolet.  Bought in 2002 by William and Marsha Whyte. 

1963 - 3206 Sussex Road, Raleigh.  Built for Dr. Kenneth L. and Charlotte Johnson.  Sold in 1994 to current owners Robert and Carol Bilbro, Carter Williams' daughter.  Williams remodeled and raised the roof over the living room shortly after his daughter bought the house.

1969 - The street appearance of Small's second office 105 Brooks Avenue is strikingly similar to his house.  The firm's first office was on Tucker Street.  Limited by growth, the firm moved out in 1999 to its third office on Glenwood Avenue, one of the Great American Insurance Company buildings they originally designed.  For a time, the Brooks Avenue office was occupied by HR Associates PA, the latest incarnation of the firm started by John Holloway decades ago.  Now occupied by P4 Performance Systems.  The bottom photo, taken by GoodnightRaleigh, shows off the koi pond.

1966 - Percy and Idell McElrath Residence, 3910 Stratford Court, Raleigh.  Bought by Frank Beacham, Jr. in 1969.  Bought by current owners Newton and Betty Griffin in 1970.

Other Houses: 

1951 - The Ben W. and Mary Thompson Smith Residence.  700 Runnymede Road, Raleigh.  A conventional design with some modernist aspects.  Sold in 1986 to Bennett and Snow Foy Roberts.  Sold in 1987 to Surry P. Roberts.  Sold to Donnell and Elizabeth Cobb in 1991.  Sold to Paul and Teresa Hart in 1992.  Sold to current owners Conley and Robin Hilliard in 1996. 

1966 - The E. C. Glover III Residence.  No photo or address.  Do you have one?