Highland Park Colonial Revival With a Surprise at the Top

When I think of a Highland Park Colonial Revival home, the words that come to mind are traditional, stately, classic, and gracious. The Colonial Revival has been and continues to be the most popular style in America. You’ll see it reimagined and reinvented by some of the best architects and builders in the country because it’s what people want.

It is the very essence of home.

I was thrilled to see this historic home hit the market because it ticks all the boxes for anyone looking for a family home, in a great neighborhood, that appreciates history, and wants to put down deep roots.

Hal Thompson designed 3621 Cornell Avenue. If you don’t know Thompson, you should. So, here’s a little primer from our friends at Preservation Dallas.

The architecture of Henry Bowers (Hal) Thomson has come to represent one of the most important periods in Dallas’ history—referred to by many as its golden era. As the architect of some of the city’s grandest houses, concentrated mostly on Swiss, Bordeaux and Armstrong avenues, Thomson helped to shape many significant neighborhoods and create a new air of sophistication within the city.

During the early 1900s, Dallas was experiencing an economic boom from oil, gas, and cotton. As the city’s elite became even wealthier, they also became more discerning in their tastes. Travel abroad was becoming ever more frequent, and Dallasites—like many Americans—were interested in replicating the great houses of Europe here at home. Thomson, a classically trained architect who had studied abroad, became the architect of choice among the prominent citizens of Dallas.

In other words, this is a house that has history. It’s stood the test of time, and will always draw the sort of intelligent, tasteful, preservation-minded buyer it’s had to date.

This Highland Park Colonial Revival was built in 1916 for Bishop H.T. Moore, the Episcopalian Bishop in Dallas from 1924-1945.  He was the 2nd bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas.  Draw a deep breath and note the original bill of sales. That was a lot of money in 1916. The Bishop was known to marry couples in the living room of his home before young men headed off to the war.

Of course, the 5,707-square-foot home has been renovated and updated over the years while retaining a lot of original features. The 200-year-old pine floors, for instance, were installed over 100 years ago. After the remodel, the client submitted an application to recognize this property as an architecturally significant home, and the designation was granted by the Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society.

This historic Highland Park Colonial Revival has four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a powder bath — and a charming surprise at the top of the house.

“The current master was originally a sleeping porch,” Dave Perry-Miller listing agent Julie Boren said. “Originally it appears there were two masters that connected between the closet. Now there are two closets.”

In 2006, the owners hired noted artist Gillian Bradshaw-Smith to create a mural inspired by a 1957 Lionel Train catalog. Bradshaw-Smith has done some stunning work in homes across America, so my advice is don’t tamper with this creation. You’re entering a whole new world on the third floor, and if trains are not your thing, imagine how easily this would transform into a media room.

I asked Boren what her favorite thing was about this Highland Park Colonial Revival. “It’s how you feel when you enter the home,” she said.  “You feel the stature and history, but at the same time, you have a very modern home with high ceilings, walls of windows, and French doors that offer amazing light.”

It really is the best of both worlds, and it can be yours for $3.975 million.

Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager for more than 25 years and a professional writer for 20 years. Karen is the mother of a son who’s studying music at The University of Miami. An ardent animal lover, she doesn’t mind one bit if your fur baby jumps right into her lap. Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com.