{"nrhp_refnum":"70000820","name":"Aventine Hall","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"143 S. Court St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Luray","county":"Page County","state":"VA","lat":38.663807604000056,"lon":-78.46435092299998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1970-02-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Aventine Hall is a two-story frame Greek Revival house at 143 South Court Street in Luray, Page County, Virginia, built in 1852 by Peter Bock Borst and later moved to its present site.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is an unusual Greek Revival example in Virginia, where the style rarely took hold. Its large Corinthian portico based on the Tower of the Winds looks decidedly un-Virginian. The contrast between carved and plaster-mold interior ornament makes it a valuable counterpoint to the state's many Georgian and Federal buildings.","narrative":"Aventine Hall is a two-story frame house in Luray, Virginia, built in 1852 for Peter Bock Borst, a northern-born lawyer who settled in the town. Borst chose the Greek Revival designs that his carpenter-builder, Mr. O'Neale, carried out. The facade carries a tetra-style Corinthian portico modeled on the Tower of the Winds in Athens, with a Doric frieze and cornice running around the whole building. Inside, a central hall plan leads to rooms with marble mantels, and the large south room is divided by a Corinthian screen of two columns. The house later served as the main building of Luray College from 1925 to 1927. It was dismantled and moved to its present site in 1937 when the Mimslyn Hotel was built. It is valued as a rare Greek Revival example in a state dominated by Georgian and Federal architecture, with a portico that looks distinctly un-Virginian.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date 1852)","architect_builder":"Built by carpenter-builder Mr. O'Neale for Peter Bock Borst, who selected the designs","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as good; the form checks occupied and private residence use. The house was dismantled and moved in 1937, and its cupola was recently rebuilt.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:57.699069-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/32/6824/41682432/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/70000820.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/70000820/ad02c58e0c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/70000820/ad02c58e0c-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"self","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aventine_Hall,_Luray,_VA.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">self</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aventine_Hall,_Luray,_VA.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682432","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aventine_Hall","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15194802"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/page-county/aventine-hall-70000820/"}