Alexander, Cecil and Hermione, House
Also known as: Shenandoah
Why it's listed
Completed in 1957 on a hilltop in northwest Atlanta, this circular brick house was designed by architect Cecil Alexander as a home for his wife Hermione and their children. Rooms are wedge-shaped and arranged around a central indoor court lit by a folded-plate plywood roof with a circular skylight. Steel posts and beams carry the roof, and the living and dining rooms are lined with floor-to-ceiling plate glass. Walls of St. Joe brick and walnut paneling finish the interior, and landscape architect Edward Daugherty shaped a naturalistic setting of native trees, shrubs and granite boulders. The house is regarded as one of the state's best examples of post-World War II modernism and as the work of a leading Atlanta modern architect. It drew national attention, appearing in LIFE magazine in 1957 and Progressive Architecture in 1959, and it received an honorable mention at a 1962 regional architects' conference. A 2006 rehabilitation altered the kitchen, bedroom and basement.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant in architecture as the work of a master architect and as an outstanding example of modern architecture in Atlanta and Georgia. Its circular plan, use of space, and modern materials such as plate-glass walls and a folded-plate plywood roof are cited. It was also featured in LIFE, Progressive Architecture and other publications.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 10000116, listed March 25, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2232 Mt. Paran Rd, N.W., Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | March 25, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000116 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1957 |
| Architect / builder | Alexander, Cecil (architect); Polychrone, Demetrios (engineer); Daugherty, Edward (landscape architect); May, Florence (interior designer); Adams and Willis (general contractor) |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: International Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling; rehabilitated in 2006. |
| Acreage | 3.7 |
| Coordinates | 33.85780, -84.43668 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 10000116.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5056378
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.