Get a Close-Up Look at The Famed Stubbs House to Support a Swiss Avenue Legend

I can think of nothing better than kicking off 2023 with a Toast to Twelfth Night. It’s this weekend, and you are all invited.

The owners of the historic Stubbs House on La Vista are hosting the annual Friends of Aldredge House fundraiser this weekend with a party at their home on Saturday evening before the tour on Sunday.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to see an iconic Dallas home and learn more about its history.

The Aldredge House: A Swiss Avenue Legend

“Events like this are part of our programming at Aldredge House and within the community to help grow the awareness and importance of historic preservation,” Melanie Vanlandingham, president of Friends of Aldredge House, said. “When visitors can see and understand what is being preserved, they understand the value of preservation.” 

The Aldredge House on Swiss Avenue was designed by noted architects Hal Thomson and Marion Fooshee and completed in 1917. It was purchased in 1921 by George E. Aldredge and his wife, Renae Munger Aldredge, who hailed from the well-known Munger family. They were the power couple in Dallas then and hosted many events at their home to support cultural and philanthropic causes.

In 1974 Mrs. Aldredge donated the spectacular house to the Dallas County Medical Society Alliance Foundation to be used as its headquarters. It is recognized as one of the best-preserved examples of early 20th-century Dallas architecture. The house is designated a Texas Historic Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.

Friends of Aldredge House, a non-profit organization, has focused goals to provide long-term financial security and ongoing preservation and operational support for Aldredge House as a historic house museum. 

In partnership with the Dallas County Medical Society Alliance Foundation, the home’s owners, we offer educational programs, tours, and outreach to the entire community on the benefits of historic preservation, cultural traditions, architecture, and the arts.

The Stubbs House

Long known as the “crown of Swiss Avenue” from its vantage point on La Vista looking down Swiss Avenue, The Stubbs House has an equally impressive and possibly more colorful history than the Aldredge House.

The Jacobean Revival Tudor manor house is believed to have been designed by architect Otto Lang and was completed in 1926 for Robert and Marie Stubbs. Mr. Stubbs was known for inventing a paving technique and paving the streets of Dallas, so he knew all of the appropriate resources to construct a home that would last forever. Like the Aldredge House, it was the scene of many social, cultural, and philanthropic events.

Perhaps the most colorful owner was Willetta Stellmacher, responsible for obtaining the home’s Texas Historic Landmark status in 2001. Stellmacher was a professional dancer at Chicago’s Edgewater Beach Hotel, where she dated a mobster. She performed with legends like Perry Como and Jackie Gleason. According to numerous reports of her as a “pistol-packing mama,” she seems to have been a proponent of concealed carry long before it was legal. Be sure to ask about her escapades at the event.

When the home was put up for sale, Wayne Noble and Barry Jones saw the ad, drove by, and that was it. “We fell in love with it,” Noble said.

The couple rolled up their sleeves and went to work restoring the home to its former grandeur.

“We tried to retain the original integrity and design of the house,” Noble said. “That is part of what makes Swiss Avenue special. These homes represent something that is no longer built.” 

Jones is a curator for RH (Restoration Hardware) and was formerly a designer for an event company, so decorating for the holidays takes on a whole new meaning in this house.

“We love Christmas and have over 60 trees in the house, 35 full-sized,” said Noble. “It’s all, Barry. He starts decorating the first week of November. When Friends of Aldredge House approached us, we were thrilled because part of the joy of owning this house is sharing it with others. We’ve been on the home tour and will be on it again in May. The first year we did the Mother’s Day tour, Virginia McAlester came by and thanked us for buying the house and understanding how to do right by it. About eight months ago, we got two cards from people thanking us for restoring the home. It’s wonderful when people recognize what you’ve done, and we love sharing this home.”

Fundraising For History’s Future

“Our work at Aldredge house is to preserve that house since it is one of our most historic and architecturally important homes,” Vanlandingham said. “It is not just that it is beautiful and is recognized by the state and city but that the house helps signify the importance of those citizens that helped establish Dallas. The house helps tell their stories, and by sharing the stories, we share the fabric of our society and drape it around all of us, so we, our children, and our grandchildren understand the importance of place.”

What: A Toast to Twelfth Night benefiting The Friends of Aldredge House
When: From 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, and 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8
Where: The Historic Stubbs House at 6243 La Vista Drive
Tickets: Tickets are $150 for the Saturday night party and $25 for the tour. Purchase via Eventbrite.

In the spirit of Twelfth Night gift-giving, all proceeds benefit the educational programs and preservation of Aldredge House, Dallas’ first historic house museum.