Building on a Legacy: The Frankford Legacy House Wins a Preservation Dallas Award

Even if you are a Dallas native, you may never have heard of Frankford Church and Cemetery. It’s hard to imagine, but you can truly step back into history just off the Dallas North Tollway.

Take a right onto Briargrove, then Spyglass Drive, and another right onto Frankford Cemetery Road. You will find the historic cemetery, the most beautiful classic white clapboard church, and something new — the Frankford Legacy House.

What does new construction have to do with preservation?

Quite a lot, actually, and the Frankford Legacy House is such a great example that Preservation Dallas has presented the project with an Achievement Award this year. New construction that supports historic preservation is an art, and there are rules set down by the National Parks Service under “New Construction Within the Boundaries of Historic Preservation.”

It is possible to add new construction within the boundaries of historic properties if site conditions allow and if the design, density, and placement of the new construction respect the overall character of the site. According to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation – Standard 9 in particular – and the Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings, new construction needs to be built in a manner that protects the integrity of the historic building(s) and the property’s setting.

National Park Service

The Frankford Preservation Foundation is a nonprofit historical organization whose mission is to preserve not only this church but also what remains of the native Blackland Prairie and Indian Spring, once used by indigenous travelers and then settlers in covered wagons in the mid to late 19th century. The foundation provides historical education about North Texas, the Frankford church, and the early settlers through tours, lectures, concerts, and other events. 

As you can imagine, with national guidelines in place, a great deal of thought and planning went into the project. Whatever was built needed to blend seamlessly into the surroundings and complement the original 1897 church’s architecture.  

Jeff Cummings, the building committee chairman, designed the Frankford Legacy House in the style of an 1890s farmhouse and sited it within walking distance of the church.

The Frankford Legacy House looks like it has always been here.

Katherine Power nominated the Legacy House for a Preservation Dallas Achievement Award.

“The new building is already making a huge difference,” she said. “Now that we have the Legacy House, we are no longer limited in the number and breadth of events we can host. A compliment we hear repeatedly is that the Frankford Legacy House seems as though it has always been there.” 

New construction that supports historic preservation offers the best of both worlds and is a win for everyone.