Preservation Dallas Celebrates 50 Years

Dallas’s preservation efforts have reached an impressive milestone this year as Preservation Dallas celebrates 50 years since its inception. It’s been a long and many times difficult road, but the organization’s advocacy efforts and sheer persistence have made them one of America’s more successful preservation organizations.

Small Beginnings, Big Actions

What began in 1972 as a small volunteer-run nonprofit called the Historic Preservation League (HPL) as they tried to get the first historic designation has grown significantly through hard work and dedication. As of 2022, Dallas can boast 21 historic districts, 17 conservation districts, and more than 130 individual landmarks.

The greenest building is one that is already built.

Carl Elefante, FAIA

Preservation efforts were begun by a small group of neighbors in East Dallas concerned about formally protecting and preserving our city’s historic buildings. Swiss Avenue was on the chopping block back then, with plans for mid-rise multifamily development in the works. It was time to take action.

Former state representative Harryette Ehrhardt was one of the founders of the HPL, later to be named Preservation Dallas.

“We wanted to save our historic buildings and chose to work on saving our homes first. We thought we should start an organization to encourage other parts of the city to do the same, so we began the Dallas Historic League. It all started in my living room on Swiss avenue.”

It was not an easy mission.

The group of homeowners was laughed out of city council chambers when they initially proposed a Swiss Avenue historic district. Undeterred, they block-walked every Sunday with flyers to educate neighbors, made presentations to churches and organizations, and invited anyone that would listen into their homes. They networked like crazy and brought in the attorney that did the legal work to establish the French Quarter in New Orleans. He worked with the HPL to develop the historic preservation ordinance to present to the council, and the next time they were met with success instead of laughter.

Historic preservation has never been more critical. Not just in terms of ensuring the buildings and homes that define our history and culture stay intact, but also much in broader terms.

Historic preservation has come a long way since 1972 due to the efforts of many, many people over the years. We have seen successes, losses, and a shift in how historic buildings are treated in Dallas. Unfortunately, though, we are still losing historic buildings across the city which are not protected. So, there is still more work to be done.

David Preziosi, Preservation Dallas Executive Director

Preservation affects every aspect of our lives. We have seen tax incentives spur the development of neglected buildings and, indeed, entire neighborhoods. Preservation means dollars stay in our community. Consider the local architects, contractors, designers, craftsmen, and landscapers involved in these projects. Local people, providing local services, and keeping the dollars local!

There is also the educational aspect of preservation for everyone. Preservation allows us to study not only culture and history but also past design and building techniques. The window into history grounds our children and gives them a much-needed sense of place. Nothing resonates more with kids than a three-dimensional, original structure like the Sharrock Niblo barn.

Then there is the environment. Restoration uses a great deal less energy than demolition and new construction.

Apart from energy usage, the amount of waste that goes into landfills when eliminating older and historic buildings is also an important factor when evaluating environmental responsibility. To put these environmental costs in context, when a decision is made to demolish one modestly sized house in a Raleigh ( North Carolina)  historic district, 62.5 tons of waste is generated for the landfill. That’s as much waste as one person would generate in 79.5 years. When the energy cost of razing and hauling to the landfill are added to the embodied energy already within the existing building, the demolition of a modest-sized historic home in Raleigh is equivalent to throwing away 15,285 gallons of gasoline. 

Nearly every 4th grader in America learns that to be environmentally responsible, it’s necessary to reduce, reuse, recycle. The use of historic buildings does all of those things.

Place Economics

Over the next few months, Preservation Dallas will go through highlights of their work, decade by decade, in their newsletter and host events to celebrate their 50 years of advocacy, culminating in the 2022 Preservation Achievement Awards and 50th Anniversary Celebration at The National on May 19th.

The best way to become an advocate for historic preservation is to become a member of Preservation Dallas and get involved!