LAWRENCE (LARRY) JAMES TRABER (1935-2017)
Born in Gainesville GA, he moved to Asheville NC in 1944 and graduated from Lee Edwards HS. He attended two years at Duke pre-med, served in the Army 1955-1957, then studied five years at the NCSU School of Design, graduating with a degree in Architecture in 1962.
While at NCSU, he interned for John Latimer one summer in Durham and another summer with Ned Whitmire in Asheville. He moved to California in 1962 and worked for Luckman Associates then a larger firm called DMJM in Los Angeles. He returned to Asheville in 1963 to work for Charlie Sappenfield then went on his own in 1965. His nickname around Asheville was Cliffhanger for his ability to design houses on steep slopes.
Traber Project List
Traber Project List 2
1965 - The Lawrence (Larry) Traber House, 13 Horizon Hill Road, Asheville NC. This was his first house in private practice. Sold to Michael and Celine Lurey. Sold to Howard and Helen Campbell. Sold to Judy Daniel. Sold in 2014 to Anne V. Winter and Thomas H. (Tobey) Pierce.
1965 - The Millicent W. and Don R. Printz House, 24 Amherst Road, Biltmore Forest NC. Sold in 1970 to Catherine M. Wilson. Sold in 2014 to Karen D. Calhoun. Sold in 2022 to Erika L. Arsuffi and Joshua Marr.
1966 - The David and Thorunn K. Ivey House, 5 Brookside Road, Biltmore Forest NC. Sold to Kathleen Goodwin. For sale in 2024.
1967 - The George C. and Jane O. Maloy House, 600 Chunns Cove Road, Asheville NC. Sold in 1988.
1968 - The Alexander and Dorothy Maitland III House, 38 Sunset Summit, Asheville NC. Deeded in 2008 to Susan and Alexander Maitland IV. Sold in 2008 to John A. Hepler.
1969 - The Richard Paige House, 14 Crowningway Drive, Asheville NC. Sold to a house flipper, who sold in 2003 to William Smoak. Sold in 2014 to the Birch L. Carlson Trust.
1969 - The Paul and Geraldine (Ginger) Lerner House, 32 Sunset Summit, Asheville NC. Sold in 2002 to Warren Fluharty. Sold in 2004 to Christopher and Elizabeth Schaller. Sold in 2013 to Kalreco, LLC. Sold in 2013 to John F. Underwood, who removed the angled exterior walls and added a second story. Bottom photo by Troy Winterrowd.
Around 1969 - The Lakeshore Garden Apartments, 81 Lakeshore Drive, Asheville NC.
1970 - The Paul M. and Joyce Savory House, 78 Forest Road, Biltmore Forest NC. Sold in 1994 to Gary and Gwen Ashburn.
Around 1972 - The Crowfields Condos, 1745 Hendersonville Road, Asheville NC. As of 2014 a retirement center.
1976 - The Robert H. Owen House, 59 Forest Road, Biltmore Forest NC.
1977 - The Henry White House, 115 Stuyvestant Road, Biltmore Forest NC. Sold to Nancy B. Ferguson. Sold in 2014 to Eileen Schwartz and Edward Zilewicz.
1978 - The Grace E. and Darryl Unruh House, 44 Westhaven Drive, Asheville NC. Deeded in 2001 to the Grace T. Unruh Trust. Sold in 2016 to Karen K. and Daniel G. Nasser.
1978 - The Traber Duplex, 3 and 5 Hy Vu Drive, Asheville NC. Deeded in 1995 to Elge L. and Lawrence Traber. Sold in 2005 to Asheville Hideaways LLC. Sold in 2014 to Cynthia A. Coker and Lucinda M. Murphy. For sale in 2023.
1981 - The Ocean House Condominiums, 2220-2222 Ocean Shore Boulevard, Ormand Beach FL.
1987 - The Pine Cliff Condominiums, 305 Piney Mountain Drive, Asheville NC. Includes 19 buildings with 64 total units.
Around 1987 - The Timbers Condos, Piney Mountain Drive, Asheville NC. Status unknown.
1991 - The Mickey and Karen (Kay) Goodman House, 107 Robinhood Road, Asheville NC.
1995 - The Benson and Sondra (Sandy) Slosman House, 4 Oxford Court, Asheville NC.
Year unknown - The Tiffany Traber Shaw House, Fernandina Beach FL. Designed by Traber for his daughter; built by her husband.
Year unknown - The Colony Apartments, Skyland NC.
Year unknown - The Dunlawton Villas Apartments, Jacksonville FL.
Year unknown - The Jerles Residence, Columbus OH.
Year unknown - The Villa Capri Apartments, Deland FL.
Year unknown - The Oaks in the Trails Condos, Daytona Beach FL.
Year unknown - The Robinson Residence, Deland FL.
Year unknown - The Kegley Residence, Johnson City TN.
Year unknown - The Slosman Residence, Asheville NC.
Sources include: Virginia Faust; Troy Winterrowd; Tiffany Traber; Larry Traber.