This Winnetka Heights Prairie Foursquare Is a Renovation and Restoration Inspiration

Judy and Bill Cummings love a big project. They restored two homes while living in the Houston Heights Historic District. When they moved to Dallas to be close to their daughters, they found a 1924 Winnetka Heights Prairie Foursquare in sad shape. You guessed it, this was their next big project!  

Built in 1916 for Olin L. Pattio, an insurance agent, it was the first home on North Rosemont Avenue. In February 2018, Issac Martinez, owner of River Oak Renovations, and his wife, Sarah, purchased the property, planning its renovation. Martinez, recognized for his historic renovations, had already completed four projects in Winnetka Heights. Just two months later, the Cummings drove by and fell in love with the house, undaunted by the needed work.

Fortunately, in 2013, next-door neighbor Becky Macon was concerned about the house missing its front porch. She sent out a request to the Oak Cliff Boomers Facebook page in search of historic photos of the house.

Teresa Thomas Daniels shared 1945 photos of the house from when her father lived there. These images, showing her WWII serviceman uncles by the porch, were given to the Dallas historic preservation staff for the house file. 

This was just what the Cummings needed to start their big project. With their Houston architect, Emiliano Zazueta, Martinez as their contractor, Chris-Chiles Designs, and daughter Kate Thacker of Kate Thacker Homes, the team tackled this significant renovation and restoration project. 

“We learned you need a knowledgeable team,” Bill said. “I always consider: can we sell this house for more than we spent and make a profit? You can’t compare historic neighborhoods directly to others. You have to earn a return, and we’ve always managed that.”

The porch was rebuilt according to historic standards using those vintage photos. A second-story master suite and a one-story screen porch were added to the rear of the Winnetka Heights Prairie Foursquare.

Zazueta opened up a staircase that had been enclosed and reconfigured the bottom of the house. There was only a remnant of the original banister remaining, so the Cummings had it removed and replicated. The crumbling brick fireplace was refaced with decorative tile. 

“There was a dilapidated shed in the backyard,” Judy said. “It became a gift when we found original five-over-one windows with wavy glass and beveled glass doors inside for our restoration.”

When the project was complete, Realtor Diane Sherman — one of the most knowledgeable people I’ve met on Oak Cliff history — nominated the house for a Preservation Dallas Award. Preservation consultant Jim Anderson, a 26-year veteran urban planner for the City of Dallas, wrote the nomination for the Winnetka Heights Prairie Foursquare.

“This house illustrates what can happen when you have a proactive neighborhood preservation group,” Sherman said. The house received a Preservation Dallas Achievement Award in 2020. It’s been on the Winnetka Heights 2019 Home Tour and the 2023 Heritage Oak Cliff Home Tour.

“I think being on a home tour is the ultimate support of your neighborhood,” Judy said.

Bill and Judy aren’t going far. Their new project: turning two empty Winnetka Heights lots into a period-perfect home. They can’t wait for it to be finished!

This is a unique opportunity to own a thoughtfully renovated, move-in-ready historic home in a close-knit Dallas neighborhood!

Laura Wiswall of Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate has this Winnetka Heights Prairie Foursquare at 211 N. Rosemont listed for $1.5 million.