George, Lee & Helen, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1951 at 16 Ninth Avenue NE in Hickory, this one-story house was among the first homes in the Combford Park development. Architect Aiji Tashiro, brother-in-law of owner Helen George, designed it, and D. Carroll Abee managed construction. The flat-roofed house has a compound plan, a stone-and-redwood exterior, large fixed windows with louvered ventilation panels, and a rear wall of floor-to-ceiling glass opening onto a stone terrace. Inside, wood paneling, built-in cabinetry and an in-floor hydronic heating system survive largely intact. The design follows the Usonian house type developed by Frank Lloyd Wright, with its slab foundation, carport, private bedroom wing and emphasis on natural materials and horizontality. Tashiro's main departure was placing the master bedroom near the kitchen. The nomination describes it as the earliest identified Modernist dwelling in Hickory and the city's most outstanding example of the style, which is why it was recognized for its architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is locally significant under Criterion C as an intact early example of Modernist residential design in Hickory. It reflects Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian house type in plan and use of materials. It is described as the first Modernist house built in Hickory and the city's most outstanding example of the style.
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 12000234, listed April 24, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 16 9th Ave., NE., Hickory |
|---|---|
| County | Catawba County |
| Listed | April 24, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000234 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1951 |
| Architect / builder | Tashiro, Aiji, architect; Abee, D. Carroll, architect (construction managed) |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single dwelling; the form says it was occupied until recently by the George family, and restoration plans include insulation, replacing some window glass and rehabilitating the radiant heating system. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 35.74478, -81.33712 (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 12000234.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18169255
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.