Architect, Volunteer, Wife, Mom: White Rock Home Tour Chair Makes Time for Fundraising

This year, the White Rock Home Tour has brought in a legitimate superhero of a woman to chair their 15th-anniversary event.

How is she a superhero? You know those moms who are doing it all — wife, mother, PTA volunteer, pet owner, and business leader? The one who’s going 24/7? That’s the person you want to be chair of the school fundraiser, right?

Right.

Meet Jessica Stewart Lendvay, one of those moms. Adding to her list of titles this year is chair of the White Rock Home Tour. After a three-year break because of pandemic concerns, the tour is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. on April 22 and 23 through the East Dallas area.

Promoting Architectural Literacy

Even with a busy schedule that has her zooming from one appointment to the next, Jessica is very excited about the tour, which benefits Victor H. Hexter Elementary School.

“The obvious reasons are that I was eager to support my neighborhood elementary school, but mainly I’m very passionate about promoting architectural literacy outside of the profession,” she said. “And I think this is a really great way to do that.”

A White Rock-area homeowner herself, the tour chairwoman is also an architect who leads her eponymous firm, Jessica Stewart Lendvay Architects. Her neighborhood, Old Lake Highlands, is known for its charm, proximity to White Rock Lake, and its award-winning elementary school. Chairing the upcoming tour allows her to combine her love of architecture, history, and her children’s public school.

An Architect’s Responsibility

“I don’t have a lot of extra time, but this has been very fun and very rewarding,” she said. She’s enjoyed connecting with her community, talking about the things she loves, and helping educate people about her architecture.

“As an architect, I feel like it’s my responsibility to do as much as I can to explain the importance of architecture,” she said, “so we can take care of our community, so they last and they can be taken care of.”

The White Rock Lake area is peppered with notable architecture, which is one of many reasons Jessica chose it for her own neighborhood. She’s enthusiastic about the homes featured on this year’s tour because she feels they showcase a diverse selection. The mix of Midcentury Modern homes and newer homes, she says, will be educational and interesting for the public in ways commercial spaces never can.

“Home tours not only reveal private spaces, which is cool, but that’s often where a lot of architects are really able to create very beautiful detail,” she said. “Home tours are great to see that work.”

She does know what she’s talking about. Besides being a devoted volunteer, Stewart Lendvay holds a master’s degree in architecture from the University of Texas at Arlington. Her career has included renovation work on homes designed by noted architects Howard Meyer, Richard Larabee, and E.G. Hamilton.

White Rock Home Tour Focuses on Preserving Our Past

Preserving the past is important to her, and she thinks home tours, such as the White Rock Home Tour, help explain that importance.

“It’s not good for us to tear down buildings that are really culturally important,” she said, acknowledging that some have to be torn down. “But our lives are richer when we can continue to connect with places and spaces.

“I really believe, and I’ve come to understand this in a deep way, our values are fleeting. If we value something, we need to talk about it today. These are important values and how can we spread these messages.”

15 Years of The White Rock Home Tour

So spreading the message is one reason for the home tour, which 15 years ago was begun to underwrite the salary of an art teacher for Hexter Elementary School. Art teachers’ salaries are now covered by public school budgets, so the tour’s proceeds will benefit teacher and student resources.

White Rock Home Tour tickets are on sale now for $20 online or $25 the day of the event. CandysDirt.com is a proud media sponsor of this event.