Meet Todd Macintire, Grandson of Architect Charles Dilbeck
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Todd Macintire is in town, visiting his favorite person in the world, his grandmother Pat Dilbeck, with him here inside one of the “four sisters” on Shenandoah at Douglas. Todd, who grew up in Dallas and graduated from Highland Park High School, lives in Brooklyn now where he owns a retouching business, 4cimaging.com. He is 36 and single (pay attention girls!) and Todd moved to the City in 1996 to attend the Pratt Institute. Surprise, surprise he LOVES architecture, photographing homes and is looking for an old building to purchase in Brooklyn right now.
What are some of his memories of life with his famous architect grandfather?
“I recall we would go out to eat and my grandfather would draw with us, and tell us stories. Then we’d be running around, and my grandmother would be telling us to sit down, and he’d say no, let them be. Let them have fun. My grandfather was one of the most easy going people in the world.”
We learned some fun Dilbeck lore through the current owners of Dilbeck homes attending SMU’s “The Houses of Charles Dilbeck” Wednesday night. The course, taught by Dr. Jann Mackey, is part of SMU’s Continuing and Professional Education Program.
Dilbeck loved to hang doors upside down.
Why did he do that, I asked his grandson?
“Oh, for fun. He just liked to shock people.”
Did you know that Charles Dilbeck and Henry Ford were going to, at one time, partner on developing homes? Every home they built would come with a Ford in the garage.
“And if only he had met Walt Disney, wow,” says his widow, Pat.
And in some of his homes, Dilbeck left the upstairs, particularly the master bedrooms, fairly stark and unadorned without the elaborate, intricate finish-outs he used downstairs. Like those dining room ceilings (heart beating very fast here)!
“I think the idea was to spend the money downstairs, because people never went upstairs except to sleep,” says Pat. “But I told him, your clients have money, make the upstairs and the master bedrooms a little fancier!”
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A great, fun article Candy !
great article….have known Todd since he was a young boy……love Pat as well….
[…] like it when our property values increase. We feel rich. Talking to Charles Dilbeck’s grandson, he was telling me how he is shopping for a place in Bro… and how buildings that were affordable there a few years back are now selling for millions. Same […]
Hi Candy, I love the article I wish there was more.
Great idea. I want to do more on architects in general.
[…] Dear Santa: I have always wanted to live in a Charles Dilbeck home. Ever since I moved to Dallas and learned that Charles Dilbeck was one of the area’s most prolific architects, I have wanted to buy one of his homes. They were the first “older” homes I saw in Dallas. Well, that is, until I found Swiss Avenue. Dilbeck created romantic Tudors and French country homes sprinkled throughout the Park Cities and a few in North Dallas. His was Harry Potter style before Harry was a Potter. His homes have a signature English farmhouse feel to them, and are built rambling, as if they have been added onto. Dilbeck, for example, always said that in authentic cottages you could always find the original log cabin that the home started from. He also designed homes without hallways, so you have to go into one room to get to another, as if the house had been added on to randomly. It creates a very organic feel. And it was always such a refreshing contrast to the post World War II ranches that sprawled everywhere. Plus, I know his family. […]