Historic Preservation
I admit that I have to stifle a laugh when people call Dallas City Hall old. After years growing up in Europe and Asia, I know old architecture. America is a young country, and Dallas is a young city, so calling our city hall old lacks context. Let’s look around at just a few examples…
Sometimes it only takes one person to see potential and spark change. James McGee, president and CEO of Southern Dallas Progress Community Development Corporation, is that champion for the Tenth Street Historic District. By restoring and updating homes, he is gradually providing the change this historic Freedman’s town needs. The Tenth Street Historic District, recognized…
“Hey, Honey, I lost another house in a poker game.” Imagine hearing that as your husband walks in the door. This Kessler Park Tudor, built in 1935, is rumored to have been owned by legendary barbecue king William Jennings “Red” Bryan, founder of Red Bryan’s Smokehouse in 1930 and father of Sonny Bryan. Stories suggest…
In the summer of 1984, Dallas City Hall briefly traded its stately civic gravitas for something unexpected — 42 tons of sand. With beach volleyball courts, sandcastle building competitions, and a Beach Boys cover band, 1500 Marilla became the memorable site of “Summer in the City,” a Muscular Dystrophy Association fundraiser sponsored by KZEW-FM “The…
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…
