Historic Preservation Suffered Significant Losses in 2023

Educating our readers and offering resources is of paramount importance here at CandysDirt.com, especially when it comes to historic preservation. So many people and companies don’t have any idea about the tools available to preserve their homes or buildings.

Chief among these tools are landmarking, historic tax credits, and deed restrictions. If we are not proactive, individually and as a city, we will become an architecturally boring place to live, and that would be a tragedy.

Lakewood Lost an Iconic Clifford Hutsell

The biggest historic preservation loss for Lakewood this year was the Clifford Hutsell Mediterranean on Lakewood Blvd. In all the years I’ve been writing about historic preservation, I’ve never seen social media go this wild over the destruction of a home, and frankly, rightfully so.

This was one of the finest, most intact representations of Hutsell’s artistry in Dallas. From all reports, the family wanted it saved but did not know about or perhaps think of adding deed restrictions or landmark the property. It was also sold before the Lakewood Conservation District expansion.

After Demolition of Historic Hutsell, Activists Push For Lakewood Conservation District Expansion

East Dallas Lost The Classic Buckner House

Our most recent historic preservation loss in late December also set social media on fire. The bulldozer seemingly came overnight, and salvage crews were not allowed to save the beautiful clay tile roof or the barley twist columns. The giant L on the facade was for Tom Loving, who built the home in 1939. This was a very sad loss as a buyer was waiting in the wings for deed restrictions to clear who would have saved it.

The Buckner House: Liberace, Legend, And Casa Linda’s Iconic Estate

The Medical District Lost The First Self-Contained Business Community: Exchange Park

This historic preservation loss also hurt. We had many emails from readers who remembered eating at La Tunisia or working in the bank for Braniff or Frito Lay. It was cutting edge as the first indoor working and shopping experience in Dallas. Former Preservation Dallas Executive Director David Preziosi wrote about it for us in 2021. It was razed on October 1, 2023

Exchange Park: Dallas’ Cutting Edge Development of the 1950s

Highland Park’s History is Rapidly Being Lost

Highland Park is always heartbreaking these days. When the landmarked home at 4415 Fairfax was demolished, the entire street turned out to mourn its demise. Unfortunately, landmarking in Highland Park, unlike Dallas, is meaningless when it comes to preservation.

By The Time You Read This, Another Landmarked Historic Highland Park Home Will Bite The Dust

Let’s Try Harder

Our architectural history is what makes us unique. It provides a visual connection to our past, our heritage, and our culture. Let’s all try a bit harder to make historic preservation a priority in 2024 because we lost a lot in 2023. And that’s not OK.