What’s Love Got to do With it? For This Hal Thomson — Everything

A very special Hal Thomson home in Highland Park is for sale for the first time in 44 years. I believe this will be a true test of historic preservation, highlight why we love a home, and perhaps give us some insight into what luxury should really mean today.

Henry B. Thomson (Hal) started his architectural practice in 1908, just as the Gilded Age of Dallas began. With a considerable social standing further cemented by marriage to the daughter of a prominent banker, he became the preferred architect for the elite in Dallas and, indeed, the preeminent architect of his time.

In addition to his residential work, he collaborated on the Maple Terrace apartments, the Cotton Exchange Building, and the Aquarium building at Fair Park. 

Although many of his homes still stand today, we have sadly lost some of his most impressive designs. This leads me to what I consider to now be the most important house in Highland Park, the home Hal Thomson built for his own family.

In 1921, Thomson completed a comparatively modest Colonial Revival house for his own family at 3925 Potomac. Thomson’s home consisted of a two-story gambrel roof with matching gabled wings that projected toward the street. A modest covered porch connected the two wings, and their gable ends were terminated by brick chimneys.

Great American Suburbs, The Homes of The Park Cities  

This Colonial Revival should make us think about why we love a home and rethink our existing understanding of what luxury means.

Consider that Thomson could have built himself a home of any size, anywhere. He purposely built a family home that was not overly imposing but charming, yet with the detail he included in homes built for his wealthiest clients.

His design was not about accommodating loads of overnight guests or having bonus space. It was about creating a warm yet elegant retreat for his family. 

He also designed this home to accommodate fairly large groups. In their four decades here, the present owners have hosted everyone from political leaders to celebrities such as Robert Duvall and Julia Child. So, it’s safe to say you don’t need 6,000 square feet to entertain beautifully.

We’ve had our heads turned by square footage, home theaters, and bonus rooms. Yet, when I interview sellers daily, they say, “Oh, we never go upstairs,” or “The kids have graduated, and we want a manageable house.” Never once do they say they love their big suburban home and don’t want to leave.

It’s a different conversation when I talk to sellers of architecturally significant homes. The words “I love my home” come up over and over, and they have nothing to do with square footage, a game room, or even a pool.

Amenities are great, but emotion sells homes, and that emotion is love. So, is luxury really about amenities and square footage? We need to rethink that. I believe luxury is now about architectural integrity, detail, and history.

Realtor and historic home expert Doug Newby is the listing agent for this Colonial Revival cottage.

“I think potential buyers are now more interested in, enchanted by, and loyal to historic architecturally significant homes,” he said.

We know it’s easy to fall in love with this house but what if you are not downsizing and do need a bit more space than the existing 2,909 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths?  

“It’s a very flexible house,” Newby said. “Economically, you are so far ahead to renovate and expand.”

Newby called in a favor from the architect who knows the Park Cities better than anyone, Wilson Fuqua. Fuqua built the loft addition on this house and was kind enough to draw a couple of renderings for expansions, which you can see in the slideshow below.

“A lot of clients I’ve had over the years are Hal Thompson clients, and they have made decisions based on what was best for the house,” Fuqua said. “Good historic houses tell you how to live in them.”

Preservation Park Cities has identified this Hal Thomson-designed home at 3925 Potomac Ave. as one of the 10 most historic and architecturally significant homes in the Park Cities. Newby has Hal Thomson’s home available for $4.6 million. 

I think you are bound to fall in love with it.