Will This Iconic Greenway Parks Cotswold Manor House Survive?

This Greenway Parks Cotswold Manor House should not be on my endangered property list, but unless a discerning buyer recognizes the significance of this exceptional home, I fear for its future. The responsibility to preserve this historic home is in our hands. 

Let’s assume that a clever buyer is reading this post, loves a good Cotswold Manor House, and covets a life in the Greenway Parks neighborhood. However, they are wondering what the heck I mean by doing the right thing. Here’s an example to illustrate my point.

A Template For Historic Preservation And Expansion

Last week’s Monday Morning Millionaire featured the George Marble Estate at 6726 Lakewood Blvd. That home, like the Greenway Parks manor house, is a historic property that has been successfully updated to meet modern standards while preserving its unique character. It’s the best example of how to maintain a historic home’s presence in the community yet also create a residence that lives up to the standards we want today. 

English Heritage Homes added on to the iconic Lakewood estate and updated it not once but twice. The expansion of the original footprint made it perfect for our lifestyles today without doing irreparable damage to the interior or exterior. In fact, I think they improved on Marble’s design, which is rare and speaks to how well English Heritage Homes understands historic properties.

The Lakewood estate represents what should always be done with our historic residential properties, or we will indeed end up having the entirety of Dallas resemble a purpose-built suburb of homes that all look just the same. Aren’t we fed up with that yet? 

The same kind of addition could easily be done with this Greenway Parks Cotswold Manor House. The Lakewood estate had a slightly smaller footprint before the addition than this Greenway Parks estate, and it was on a bit more acreage, but let’s not split hairs. The Lakewood estate provides a perfect template for what should be done here.

Greenway Parks Cotswold Manor House is in One of Dallas’ Best Neighborhoods

Greenway Parks is hands down one of the most desirable places to live in Dallas.

The area was platted in 1927 by David R. Williams and was our first pedestrian-oriented neighborhood. Imagine in the 1920s thinking about walkability above all else. That’s some forward-thinking.

The concept was to create a neighborhood based on the English pattern known as a commons, which has homes facing shared greenspace.  In May 2003, Greenway Parks became the Dallas’ 10th conservation district, which, unfortunately, does not make any home safe from the wrecking ball.

Maribeth Messineo Peters Pappas has lived in Greenway Parks for more than 20 years and is our go-to authority on the neighborhood. She’s also an Executive Vice President and Realtor with Allie Beth Allman & Associates and has sold this home in the past, so she knows quite a lot about it.

“There are certain blocks that have some of the finest architecture in the neighborhood, and this is one of those blocks,” she said. “This home is truly one of the neighborhood jewels. It was one of two original model homes, or demonstration homes as they were called. This one represented the English Revival style and was supposed to show the vision of what could be built in this neighborhood. Several years ago I sold the other demonstration house at 5527 Waneta, a Spanish-style home that the buyer has kept beautifully intact.”

It would be gutting to lose this 1926 Cotswold Manor House, an absolute masterpiece designed by architect Fonzie Robertson. It exemplifies everything the developers wanted to showcase. From its exquisite stained glass windows, majestic beamed ceilings, and grand cast stone fireplace to the inviting solarium, it embodies the cutting-edge design of the 1920s.

Today, it offers something we sadly lack in Dallas — character, a quality that cannot be replicated. The solution is simple. Use the Lakewood estate as your guide, preserve this house, and preserve a significant part of Dallas’ history. 

We know you want to see this beauty in person. Viewings are by appointment only, so please give Keller Williams agent Ana Cavazos a call to see one of Dallas’ most distinctive and historic residences. She has this one-of-a-kind Greenway Parks Cotswold Manor House listed for $4.399 million.