Griffith-Sowers House
Why it's listed
Set on a slight rise in the rolling Piedmont about seven miles west of Salisbury, this large two-story frame house with an attic was designed in 1930 by Percy Bloxam, an English-born engineer working in Salisbury. Its exterior was finished by Alfred Ross Lazenby, a prominent Salisbury contractor, by 1933, when it had a slate roof, copper gutters and metal lath in place. The house has a five-part plan with a central block, linked hyphens and two flanking wings, and a south-facing front with a Tuscan-columned porch. Built for James Francis Griffith, a Salisbury music teacher, it was lost in foreclosure. Jesse Lewis Sowers bought it at auction in 1933 and finished the interior in stages until 1962. The house is significant as an example of interwar Colonial Revival design and country house architecture in Rowan County, and as the single known work of its designer, Bloxam.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an important and unique example of interwar Colonial Revival architecture in Rowan County and one of only two related country houses built in the county in the 1930s. It is described as the only known residence designed by Bloxam, and its planned and partly finished interior reflects the original plans and specifications.
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 09000703, listed September 9, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5050 Statesville Boulevard, Salisbury |
|---|---|
| County | Rowan County |
| Listed | September 9, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000703 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1930-1962 |
| Architect / builder | Percy Bloxam (architect); Alfred Ross Lazenby (builder) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a single-family residence; the interior was completed by 1962 and the house became a single-family dwelling after 1963. |
| Acreage | 30 |
| Coordinates | 35.71677, -80.57106 (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 09000703.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19867175
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.