Oaklawn is situated at the site of the original plantation home of the Latta family. Their home served as a prominent entry way for travelers arriving to Mecklenburg county by crossing the Catawba river at Beatties Ford. After the original house had languished for years, the Historic Landmark Commission approached The Boulevard Company to come up with a plan to save the house while keeping architectural continuity on the site. The Boulevard Company produced a plan for 20 homes in a dense site, preserving the setting and vistas maintained from the original Beatties Ford entrance. The original Latta home has been designated an historic landmark, along with each home plan that was approved and recorded by the HLC as historic landmarks themselves.