Box Hall Plantation
Why it's listed
Box Hall Plantation is a 135-acre estate on the southwestern outskirts of Thomasville, Georgia, built around a two-story brick Georgian Revival house completed in 1930-1931. The grounds hold a guest house, garage, barn, tank house, pond house, two servants' houses, a swimming pool with pool house, and formal gardens with a reflecting pool and fountain. The land was part of an antebellum plantation whose first big house, built in 1857, burned around 1929. Alvah K. Lawrie, a retired Aluminum Company of America executive from New York, then built the present house as a winter home. The New York firm Delano and Aldrich designed the house, guest house and landscape plan, using brick, symmetrical massing, a detailed entrance and paneled interiors. The property was listed for its architecture and for what it shows about Northern investors who turned old plantation tracts into seasonal estates around Thomasville. The period of significance runs from 1930 to Lawrie's death in 1936.
Significance in brief: The house and guest house were designed by the New York firm Delano and Aldrich, who also planned the formal landscaping, and the house is presented as a fine example of Georgian Revival style. It also illustrates the role of wealthy Northern winter residents who bought and redeveloped antebellum plantation tracts around Thomasville as seasonal estates.
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 89002015, listed November 16, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Lower Cairo Rd. at Pinetree Blvd., Thomasville |
|---|---|
| County | Thomas County |
| Listed | November 16, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89002015 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1930-1936 |
| Architect / builder | Delano and Aldrich of New York City |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling; the form notes only minor changes in keeping with the style, such as an enclosed dining porch and a second-floor "shooting wing". |
| Acreage | 135 |
| Coordinates | 30.82977, -84.01545 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 89002015.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q30621906
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.