Small House
Why it's listed
Built in 1951 on a steep hillside at a bend in Lake Boone Trail in Raleigh, this nearly square, one-story frame house was designed by architect G. Milton Small for his own family. Small had studied under Mies van der Rohe, and the house reflects that training through its flat roof, deep overhangs, exposed black structural posts and a glazed wall of sliding doors opening to a screened porch that appears to float above the ground. The open living, dining and kitchen space kept costs low, at about $8 per square foot. In 1961 Small added wings to both sides, replaced the plywood panels with framed composite sheathing and created a raised brick entry court, making the design more strictly Miesian. A small addition followed in the 1980s. The house is considered the first comprehensive Miesian residence in Raleigh, received a 1957 state AIA Honor Award, and was published in Architectural Record in 1954 and 1966.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be the work of a master and to have high artistic value under Criterion C. It is described as the first comprehensive Raleigh residence shaped by the ideas of Mies van der Rohe. It also tested new materials, construction systems and compact, low-cost planning, and it won a 1957 N.C. AIA Honor Award and was published in Architectural Record in 1954 and 1966.
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 94001086, listed September 21, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 310 Lake Boone Trail, Raleigh |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | September 21, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94001086 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1951-1961 |
| Architect / builder | Architect: G. Milton Small; Contractor: Frank Walser |
| Architectural style | Miesian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as continuously maintained, intact and in good condition; still used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.81654, -78.66493 (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 94001086.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7542799
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.