Deep Dives Into Dallas History Pay Off: CandysDirt.com Wins a Preservation Achievement Award

The very first column that Karen Eubank wrote for her weekly report on North Texas’ built history was about an absolutely irresistible mansion in Highland Park at 3601 Beverly. In her inaugural Historic Preservation column Karen introduced her audience to a property that might just be the crème de la crème of historic homes in North Texas.

To read Karen expound on this incredible home was a revelation. I won’t say I’m hard to impress, but for me, pictures don’t do a home justice. We need to tell its story. With a story, you can appreciate what views the windows may have shown, or the conversations on which the mantles may have eavesdropped. With a story, it comes alive. And maybe if people can connect with the story, the home can live another day.

That’s what Karen has done each Thursday (well, except for this one, you slacker) for all of us — keep Dallas’ architectural history alive. She loves every second of it and, of course, it shows.

According to Preservation Dallas, at least, it’s worth shouting about. We couldn’t be more elated to receive a special recognition from this organization, the Preservation Education Award.

“Nothing makes me more joyful than seeing the talents of our incredible staff recognized and rewarded by prestigious organizations,” says CandysDirt.com founder and publisher Candy Evans. “Every day of the week we deliver specialized, yummy content to our readers, and I look forward to our Thursday newsletters now because of the Historic Preservation column. Karen is one of the most diligent writers we have, and this beat was perfect. Just incredibly proud!”

Chronicling The History of Dallas, One Home at a Time

“The stories of the places and the people who lived or worked there are what make Dallas so interesting,” says Preservation Dallas Executive Director David Preziosi. “We have a really rich history in Dallas that many people don’t think about or know about, and Karen brings that to the surface for people to learn and enjoy.”

Take, for instance, the Hollywood Heights Spanish Colonial at 918 Valencia.

“There are homes in my Hollywood Heights neighborhood that we all keep an eye on. That’s because we secretly long to own them. I’d venture to say pretty much everyone I know has lusted after this historic Spanish Colonial at 918 Valencia. The charming 1938 white stucco home trimmed in blue could just as easily be on Ibiza or in one of the white villages of Cadiz and Malaga. It’s that authentic.”

Are you hooked yet? Here’s more:

The Lunas had to challenge the often outdated and arbitrary conservation district rules regularly. One of the things they succeeded in having approved was the ironwork on the façade, which quite honestly seems as if it were always there. And after all, isn’t that the point of preservation? You take what history gives you, do the research, and improve it.

They took care of the infrastructure and the exterior in the historic Spanish Colonial then added on about 400 square feet to the existing 1,618. Maria drew every fixture, and piece of iron to ensure it would pass the district guidelines. Living in a house while working on it may not seem ideal. But, a home will speak to you. You learn what will work, living in it each day.

“So many people in Dallas don’t think there is a lot of history here or that old buildings are just something that need to be replaced with the shiny and new,” Preziosi said. “The column has really helped to open up people’s eyes to the incredible diversity of architecture we have in the city and the amazing historic neighborhoods that we have.”

From a Wild Idea to a Public Service

I asked Karen to tell her side of the story about how the column got started and here’s what she had to say:

“My editor, Joanna England, called me up one day and said, ‘You really seem to enjoy digging into the history of the luxury homes you write about, why don’t you start doing a historic preservation post each week?’ I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but this has  been one of the most gratifying columns I’ve ever written. Each week I learn something new and meet the most interesting people in Dallas. I don’t think there are nicer or kinder people than those involved in preserving our city’s architectural history. I hope what I write informs and educates those that lean towards tearing our history down so they might at least reach out to the appropriate people and see why a building or home is actually more valuable to preserve than to demolish.” 

We think it’s working. Preziosi agreed.

“CandysDirt.com has a great readership count and following that being able to have a platform for preservation each week is incredible! It really us helps with the work that we do to educate and advocate for historic places in Dallas,” he said. “But it’s not just the weekly column, as there are so many other stories about historic homes that are covered throughout the week. I love that they are also included in the other features like the Splurge vs. Steal, the Tuesday Two Hundred, Friday Four Hundred, and more. It is so great to see historic architecture on the same footing as new construction.”   

The hope is, after all, that when people read these stories about these homes, about the history that surrounds them, that they’ll want to keep it around for a while, too. However, there have been many high-profile teardowns in recent years. With so many newcomers to Dallas, people who may not understand the history and value of these structures are likely to just raze the building.

“When you think about why you travel to Paris, London, Rome, or Athens, the architecture and history are part of the draw. We may be a young city by comparison, but our historic architecture is important and it draws people in,” Karen said. “They are not coming here simply for a tax advantage and a big white box of — a home they could have anywhere — but instead they are coming because our history and culture are beautiful and exciting.”

See all of the Preservation Achievement Awards on June 30. The ceremony is virtual this year, and you can register here.