The Long-Vacant Mediterranean Mansion on Buckner Boulevard Just Went Contingent
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The Mediterranean on Buckner Boulevard surrounded by wire fencing has excited imaginations for decades. With stories and lore attached to the home that sits back from the six-lane thoroughfare, it’s a constant source of speculation. But one thing is for sure: The historic estate on 1425 N. Buckner Blvd. just went contingent.
Marketed by Brent King of the Brent King Group, the 5,733-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath mansion was built in 1925 but has remained vacant for 16 years. Dubbed The Buckner House, the mansion first went on the market in April of 2022 to the tune of $3.45 million. It has since been reduced to $2.8 million.
Of course, with the rash of teardowns throughout Dallas, the likelihood that the buyer of this 4.18-acre property will keep the home intact is low. Unfortunately, as preservationists have said until they are blue in the face, these types of estates are impossible to replace and the loss of them is detrimental to the cultural fabric of our city.
People say they cannot fix something because they don’t know how to fix it. I often hear something cannot be fixed, or it’s going to cost too much and is not worth it. If you are not in the restoration and preservation business, you should not be gauging restorability.
No matter how something looks, it’s almost always the case with a residential structure that it is never too far gone to restore. If it has not burned, it’s probably salvageable. Buildings are far more resilient than people give them credit for.
One of the things I encounter with existing buildings that have been allowed to deteriorate is so many people cannot see past that. You have to envision a building as it once was. There is a different approach to economically putting a historic building back. You have to have the skills and know the techniques. We have to look at something and say it has value.
You bring it back, and you will have something greater than a new piece of property. That is why they make TV shows about fixing old houses! Time is not an indicator of salvageability. In Europe, people salvage. They don’t tear down. We struggle with making appropriate decisions about existing buildings. Look at the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, for example. It sat vacant for decades. It’s finally being restored to its former glory and turning Mineral Wells into a destination again.
It’s easy to find someone to tell you to tear a building or a house down, but I think we are finally seeing a cultural awakening to the value of cool buildings from our past.
Norm Alston
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Norm always gets it just right!
Keep the house! Repair it and share the history within it! Tours? Movie sets (e.g., Downton Abbey). Don’t raze it!!!
Preservationists and Save Historic Homes Citizens,
I’ll bet many, if not most, would love to see older homes of architectural or historic significance preserved. But the problem that is constantly overlooked is that someone has to buy that home at a price agreeable by the seller. After that agreement has been consummated, it then becomes a buyer’s rights and local zoning issue.
Let’s remember, a buyer can be anyone or entity with the funds to satisfy the seller. So, forming local groups to stop this trend and start buying these homes for renovation is available now. As Nike says – “just do it”.
It’s really that simple.
Thanks again,
Brian
A tv show about restoring this home would be amazing. It could also offer an opportunity to learn architectural terms that really only existed in this region.
I can restore the stained glass, and there are plenty of other craftsmen in the city that can bring this piece of history back to its former, and deserving, glory.
It must be preserved! A living piece of our city’s history.
Brian, that’s an idea that has actually worked for preservation groups in other cities. We’d need a great deal more financial support for Preservation Dallas to pull that off here.
Love the comments. I’ve been restoring an original 4-plex in Knox-Henderson that has 4 spacious 1-bdrms apts with original glass door knobs, hardwood floors and original large soaking tubs. My remodeling efforts update the units but maintains the timeless character. I wish more tenants appreciated the character of the building. These ‘cement boxes’ in new builds really lack charm.
I’ve passed that place for years and had no idea that it was vacant. Would love to see how it looks in a freshened up state.
I just passed there earlier today. They tore it down.
Really??
Yup. It’s gone. I remembered this article and was in the area and wanted to see it again, but saw the bulldozers leveling it.