This Turtle Creek Mediterranean Masterpiece is One For The History Books

This beautiful Turtle Creek Mediterranean, built in 1926, has been home to a fascinating array of movers and shakers.

There has been a lot written about it over the years, and much of it is wrong. For instance Dallas Central Appraisal District has the build date as 1916, which no one agrees with.  And yes, we’ve even gotten the date wrong before. There is also speculation over the architect. So, I went on a hunt to try and straighten out hearsay from fact.  

Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s Realtor Madeline Jobst sold this home to Robert Edsel in 2005. Edsel, you may remember, is the author of “The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History.” It’s the true story of an Allied Forces group from the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program charged with finding and saving art and other culturally important items before they could be destroyed or stolen by Nazis during World War II. The book was made into a movie written and directed by George Clooney, who also starred in the film.

Jobst shared a file on the house with me that she received from Edsel. He researched this house as thoroughly as he would any of his books. He also engaged the services of Architexas, one of the most respected architecturural, planning, and historic preservation companies in America. 

Let’s start with what may account for some construction date confusion. There were three structures on the 2.12-acre property, 3836 and 3824, and this house, 3828 Turtle Creek Plaza (now Drive). It was built in 1926. These secondary residences were most likely for drivers, staff, and/or guests. However, the Architexas report does not list any permits prior to 1925.

They discovered that the architect for this home was Hubert Hammond Crane, once a draftsman for the architect David R. Williams. It was only the second home constructed along the shores of Turtle Creek and was designed for civil engineer Fred Hess, his wife Ethel, and their two daughters Dorothy and Margaret Ann. Elmer E. Norgaard was the builder, and the permit shows the cost to have been between $30,000 and $40,000.

Crane had served in Europe during WWl and remained there until 1920. One can assume European architecture had a substantial impact on his future work and that at some point his travels led him to Morocco and perhaps Santorini as this home reflects definite influences from both.

The Hess family lived here until 1937. Architexas also found that Crane created a watercolor of the west elevation of the house, perhaps a gift for the homeowners.

The home rapidly passed through the hands of E.L. Smith and Harry Harlan, who, it seems, never lived in the house. Then, in 1940, Edward J. “Ward” Gannon Jr. purchased it. Gannon was only here two years when he passed away. His widow and their four children remained here for two more years. One daughter, Lucille, or Lupe, years later married oilman John D. Murchison, co-owner, with his brother Clint, of the Dallas Cowboys. After John died, co-ownership of the team passed to Lupe. She was a well-known art collector, philanthropist, and legendary hostess. Her art collection was used to launch the Dallas Museum for the Contemporary Arts.

Julia R. Brower owned the home for two years, and then, in 1946, George Hutchinson bought the Turtle Creek Mediterranean with his wife Irma. They remained for 20 years and raised their children, William and Catherine, here. 

So we are up to 1968, and Robert and Ellen Nelms owned the property until 1980 when many of us can remember the rest of the stewards of this spectacular home. 

The 6,650-square-foot Turtle Creek Mediterranean next landed in the hands of socialite Sharon Simons, who did some interior remodeling. In 1983, John Ridings Lee and his wife Carole moved in. They tore down the 3824 Turtle Creek house.

Ownership history:

• 1926 Fred F. Hess
• 1937 E.L.Smith
• 1939 Hurry Harlan
• 1939 E.J. Gannon
• 1944 Julia Ruth Brower
• 1946 George W. Hutchison
• 1968 Robert de Ellen Nelms
• 1980 Sharon R. Simons
• 1983 John & Carol Lee
• 2005 Robert M. Edsel

It was Edsel, however, who poured his heart and soul into the Turtle Creek Mediterranean.

“He painstakingly restored the house and uncovered so much,” Jobst said.“He deconstructed it and reconstructed it.”

In the renovation process, Edsel, working with designer and architect Ike Isenhour, discovered a tile-covered Juliet balcony that had been sheetrocked over. The big reveal, however, was in the living room. A previous owner had dropped the ceiling. Underneath lay a breathtaking imported French beamed and vaulted structure 25 feet above the room. It’s one of the primary features of the home, and one can only ponder why it would have been concealed.

When the present owner, Michael Karns, purchased it in 2016, he walked into a fully restored and updated paradise. Karnes, for the uninitiated, is the CEO of Local Favorite, the restaurant group behind Meso Maya, Snuffers, Village Burger Bar,  El Fenix, and so many more I’ve lost count. Now that Karnes is moving on, some lucky buyer has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a majestic historic home.

After the recent heartbreak of losing the Rose Lloyd mansion on the corner of Beverly Drive and Preston Road, I hope the next owner appreciates the history and has a preservationist’s heart. 

The magnificent Turtle Creek Mediterranean at 3828 Turtle Creek Drive is listed with Compass Realtor Faisal Halum for $12.85 million.