Architect Michael Wayland Brown

Dallas Architect

Michael Brown contributed more to the Swiss Avenue Historic District and the Munger Place Historic District than many people recognize.  While socially he went by Michael Brown, professionally he went by M. Wayland Brown.  In the early 1970s, he bought 5916 Swiss Avenue and rented part of the home to another noted architect, E.L. Dunn of the Oglesby Group.  Michael Brown was one of the original founders of the East Dallas Historic Preservation League that created the Mother’s Day Swiss Avenue Home Tour in 1973. 

Michael Brown Designed the First New Home on Swiss Avenue

Michael Brown designed 5741 Swiss Avenue in 1979, the first new home on Swiss Avenue after it became a historic district.  He designed it in a style compatible with the original homes built on the Swiss Avenue boulevard.

Michael Brown Designed the First Two New Houses in Munger Place

In 1982, M. Wayland Brown designed the first two new houses in Munger Place after Munger Place became the first single-family zoned historic district in Dallas.  The neighborhood investment group to build these two new homes as a demonstration project was led by Banker Joe Goyne and Real Estate Broker Douglas Newby.  Mayor Jack Evans and Congressman Jim Mattox used 30-inch bolt cutters to cut the padlock holding the ceremonial ribbon together to announce the completion of these two new historic district homes. 

Michael Brown also designed a more traditional Prairie style home at 4902 Victor. 

Michael Brown Created Pen and Ink Drawings of Proposed Restored Facades

When many of the homes in Munger Place were divided into four apartments, I often retained Michael Brown to do pen and ink drawings of what the home would look like once it was restored as a single-family home.  He also was instrumental in helping with an architectural site survey of Munger Place that aided Munger Place being placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  In 1978, D Magazine named him as one of the 78 people in Dallas to watch.