Help us Solve This Kessler Park Spanish Eclectic Who-Done-It!
Share News:
We have dug and dug, but we need help finding the architect of this gorgeous 1932 Spanish Eclectic just listed by David Griffin and Company.
When I first saw this two-story, hipped roof, stone beauty, I thought it was probably a Dines and Kraft, but some features did not resonate as being their work, like those excellent stair-stepped arched windows on the facade and the triple-arched stained glass windows above the door. So I turned to one of my preservation resources, Donovan Westover, who mentioned it could be a design by the legendary team of Fooshee & Cheek.
“I think it resembles the Spanish Eclectic Fooshee & Cheek designed at 4200 Beverly Drive,” Westover said. “Some things make it look like a Dines and Kraft, but it’s not a traditional design and they loved gabled roofs.”
Is There a Family Connection?
In my deep dive, the original owner of this Kessler Park Spanish Eclectic was a gentleman named Ollie Moore. Another oddity is the Beverly house was designed for Dr. Huge Leslie and Lydia Bowen Moore. Considering the era and what these homes cost, even then, it stands to reason the two households could have been related.
The most public figure to own this Spanish Eclectic lived here in the mid-1960s. Dr. Claude Uhler was a prominent psychiatrist and made national news by suggesting to the press that the military was not doing its best to protect soldiers’ mental health. He was most surely a man ahead of the times. This dramatic Spanish Eclectic home has had some other interesting owners, including Robert Joyce, who owned Peacock Cleaners on Lovers Lane. His daughter June Joyce married Lt. Milton H. McNeely in this house.
“Canterbury Court is one of the prettiest streets in Kessler Park,” Griffin said. “The street gently curves, and the house is so beautifully framed.”
Every room in this charming 2,522-square-foot, four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom stone home has exposures on at least two sides. Those incredible windows were all repaired by a master carpenter in 2019. It has been beautifully maintained and had extensive updates that blend harmoniously with the house’s historic character.
“This is the quintessential traditional Kessler Park home,” Griffin said. “It’s a textbook example of the best the neighborhood offers.”
If you can help us solve the mystery or have proof that our guess is correct and this is indeed a Fooshee & Cheek, please let us know in the comments!
David Griffin has 1112 S. Canterbury Court listed for $1.1 million.
Open House: Sunday, March 19, 2-4 p.m.
8 Comments
Leave a Comment
Could this have been a Dilbeck?
I was surprised to see that he did some building in Dallas as far back as the 30s.
Reminds me of some of the homes along Lakewood…..
Running through the “hills” of Oak Cliff this home is a standout in every way. I have often thought how thankful I was this home’s heritage has been obviously honored throughout the years. Thank you Karen for your deep dive! Donovan has a nose for these things, my bet he is right! Lucky will be the next owners/ caretakers of this bargain-priced manse….
Cindy, we thought about that as there is a Dilbeck on the street and it’s the right era, but it doesn’t meet all the requirements of a Dilbeck. To me it looks like Dines and Kraft married Fooshee & Cheek and had a baby! I do love it though!
Becky, yes! It’s so similar. The same architects and builders were working in Lakewood, Highland Park, and in Oak Cliff but you do see a majority of homes like this in Lakewood.
Bess, exactly. This is a tremendous value for this stunning historic home and all the updates have been done already!
I believe that it is Fooshee & Cheek.I remember that my parents knew the owner, back in the 1960’s. We visited there a number of times. We had dinner’s there, and also visited during the Christmas holidays. Yes, the home at 4200 was built by Fooshee and Cheek. My former In-law own’s it.
Correction to my comment above… I meant to say 4200 Beverly Dr. in Highland Park is by Fooshee and Cheek. Also, my dad was career military, so my parents had been friends with the owner of the Kessler house for a number of years. That’s what I remember.