Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/20/1989
NRHP Listing Date 11/13/1989
NRHP Reference Number 89001897
The ability of mail-order companies to bring stylish, well-crafted houses to the American countryside is clearly demonstrated in the Frank Lawrence House, a commodious multi-gabled Colonial Revival residence in sparsely populated southern Montgomery County, near its border with Floyd County. The house was built around 1918 using a model from a Sears, Roebuck and Company catalog. Most of its elements were shipped by railroad. The Sears catalog describes the model as a “large modern residence with a large front porch with Colonial columns.” Interior details included with it were “colonnaded openings between hall and living room; built-in bookcases with leaded glass doors in living room; china closet in dining room; and semi-open stairs.” The house, model C215, was offered from 1911 to 1917 and was priced at $1,561. The Frank Lawrence House is the only dwelling in Montgomery County positively identified as a mail-order structure.
The Frank Lawrence House was listed in the registers under the Prehistoric and Historic Resources of Montgomery County MPD.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: May 25, 2022
