Recently, I represented a very stylish and sophisticated young couple who desired a modern home. These buyers recognized the Robert Meckfessel design of this Mediterranean home in Greenway Parks is a link to classic Mediterranean and Texas Modern styles

One hundred years ago, Swiss Avenue was the most prestigious address in Dallas.

Today. It still is.

If you’ve ever wanted to stroll through the stately mansions on this elegant East Dallas street, don’t miss the Swiss Avenue Historic District’s Homes and Garden Tour, Mother’s Day Weekend, May 7 and 8. The tour includes 10 beautifully decorated early 20th century homes, the historic Aldredge House and five gardens representing the architectural diversity of Swiss Avenue. A street festival will include music, antique cars, refreshments, tour buses and horse-drawn carriages.

Hours are Saturday, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday, noon until 6 p.m. Admission is $15. Children 12 and under are free. Advance tickets for $12 available at Lakewood Minyard, Abrams at Gaston, and Bank of Texas, Live Oak at Swiss.

WRR and Philanthropy World magazine are media sponsors of this year’s tour. For more information, call 214-824-8188 or go to sahd.org.

Additional Sponsors of the Tour include Bank of Texas, DIRECT BUY, Metropolitan on Live Oak, Colormark and Sullivan Perkins.

Many of Dallas' best architect designed homes and building sites most suitable for future architecturally significant homes are financed by Dallas private banks. Now Pegasus Bank Dallas, led by Joe Goyne, who has been the leader in luxury banking, is open to serve you. Rather than a conventional mortgage, the bank president knows you, knows the value of the property, the architect, contractor, and worthiness of the project. The knowledge and the flexibility of a luxury private bank have facilitated many of Dallas' most important projects. Private banker, Joe Goyne is an example of a luxury private banker who has a passion and interest in Dallas architecture, history and design. Joe Goyne's own personal residences have received a Restoration Home of the Year award, have been designed by an award winning architect, or showcased on Dallas historic home tours. Currently, he is completing a country home designed by A. Hays Town of the legendary Louisiana architecture firm. As a private banker he has financed the construction, restoration or purchase of many Dallas estate homes, architecturally significant homes, and historic homes.

For further information contact Joe Goyne at Pegasus Bank Dallas at 214.357.3200 or visit www.pegasusbankdallas.com

Dallas has the most significant collection of twentieth century architecturally significant homes in the world with architectural styles and movements represented from every decade. Dallas more than any other city is defined architecturally by its twentieth century architects. Virtually all of the existing homes were built after 1900. American architecture has strong regional influences and Dallas is no exception. Besides the intense, romantic and vast influence of Texas on Dallas, the city continues to appeal to the East Coast, West Coast, Chicago and the southern states to fill it's architectural canvas of Eclectic, Texas Modern and Modern homes. The nations' most important architects have designed homes in Dallas and internationally recognized architects continue to design homes in Dallas. Here you will be able to explore many significant homes that illustrate indigenous regional qualities, modern qualities of the international movement or eclectic homes derived from Europe. Homes will generally be categorized as Eclectic, Modern, or Texas Modern from the first half of the 20th century or after 1950.

-Douglas Newby

How did Dallas come to have these rich architectural styles?

Dallas, more than any other city in the country, is defined architecturally by its twentieth century architecture. Virtually all of the existing homes in Dallas were built after 1900. American architecture has strong regional influences and Dallas is no exception. Besides the intense, romantic, and vast influence of Texas on Dallas, the city has appealed to the East Coast, the West Coast, Chicago and the southern states to fill its architectural canvas.

Dallas originated as a trading post. It prospered as a city of trade. The cotton exchange brought people from all over the world in the first half of the century, as did the oil and banking industry. The Sangers, Neimans and Marcus' brought not only retailing and fashion to Dallas, but a desire for the best. Engineering and technology brought many of the county's greatest minds to Dallas in the second half of the century. Fashion, art, design and communications became an important part of Dallas industry and Dallas' consciousness.

People have come to Dallas from all over the country with their sense of style. Dallasites enjoy bringing in the finest architects from across the country They also have the self-confidence to discover and retain Dallas architects who go on to have a national reputation.

The people of Dallas are entrepreneurs who are used to creating and exploring new ideas. Just as they were willing to take a chance on their business, they were willing to take a chance on the design of their homes.

This drive to create produced one of the strongest collections of houses in the country, but it also diminished the drive to preserve. As a result, Dallas has lost many significant homes from the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century and it is now vulnerable to losing houses from the second half of the twentieth century.

The purpose of this section is to not only explore the architecture and evolution of Dallas and bring attention to the homes and styles that have value and merit. In Dallas, we have seen houses destined for demolition that were restored once the owners or the Dallas community learned of the architectural and aesthetic importance of the home. We have also seen that the highest price ever obtained for a house in Dallas was one over 50 years old that had never been updated but had beautiful proportions and detail. We can see from this example that a significant home is more than just square footage, it is art. As we come to realize that architecture is our most public art, we will take even more care in what we create and what we preserve.

This section is divided into two parts. Part one will be the significant homes from 1900-1950 and part two will be the significant homes from 1950-2000. Each part will be divided into three sections representing three styles of architecture: Eclectic, Texas Modern and Modern. The homes representing each of these styles will be discussed in roughly chronological order. Featured will be significant homes that represent the architecture of Dallas and additional homes will be referenced to give greater context to the architect, era or style being discussed.

There are thousands of homes in Dallas that have great significance architecturally, historically and aesthetically. These are just a few, but they tell the story well.

On the final night of the Luxury Conclave symposium in Las Vegas, Dallas-based Realtor Douglas Newby received the award for Best Luxury Property Marketing Campaign. The award recognizes a Realtor's dedication and talent for putting clients in the best possible position - making them the beneficiaries of his or her efforts. The jurors of the Best Property Marketing Campaign, presidents of New York advertising agencies and the Luxury Marketing Council, determined that Douglas Newby's marketing strategy, execution and quality of materials and photographs surpassed the other outstanding submissions of luxury home marketing.

Douglas Newby, when accepting the award, said "It is exhilarating to participate in The Luxury Conclave and to see and to share knowledge with my friends, who are recognized as the best Realtors in the United States and around the world. I am honored by the award, but it is an honor shared by the incredible clients I am blessed to represent, who have allowed me to offer their elegant Dallas estate homes and their important architecturally significant homes. As buyers become increasingly aware of the aesthetic importance of properties, our continuing referrals to each other become all the more meaningful for our relocating clients."

Participants in The Luxury Conclave Symposium were top Realtors from across the United States who had been selected by The Wall Street Journal, Unique Global Estates, The Luxury Institute, and Unique Homes. They attended by invitation only.

Associate Constance Harkins states, "Douglas Newby never rests on his success and is constantly finding new ways to benefit his clients. He has done it again with Peggy Levinson joining Douglas Newby & Associates." Douglas Newby explains, "Peggy Levinson has a closer relationship with the design community than anyone in Dallas, having previously owned for 25 years the finest design showroom. Our clients will benefit from our further involving the design community in the real estate market - helping evaluate properties, finding good homes in advance of their coming on the market and adding prestige to the homes that are offered where they were involved in the design."

Douglas Newby adds, “that Peggy will add even greater depth to our interpreting the real estate market and understanding good design. The aesthetics and economic value of a home are tightly intertwined. A home is your greatest design decision; we want our clients to benefit from good design.”

- The Dallas Morning News

It is an honor to participate in The Luxury Conclave symposium and share knowledge with the finest top tier Realtors across North America. It is an even greater honor to be singled out for my efforts representing my clients and selling their elegant and architecturally significant estate homes.

-Douglas Newby

Douglas Newby was once again presented with the Wall Street Journal'saward for Best Luxury Property Marketing Campaign for 2005-2006 at The Luxury Conclave Symposium in Palm Beach, a The Wall Street Journal, Unique Homes, and Institute for Luxury Home Marketing sponsored symposium for 200 top luxury real estate agents working with the most expensive and highest quality homes.

At the international symposium of the upper-tier Realtors, selling million and multi-million dollar estate properties, The Luxury Conclave presented the award for Best Luxury Property Marketing Campaign to Douglas Newby for an unprecedented second year. Jurors included the presidents of New York advertising firms.

"It is an honor to participate in The Luxury Conclave Symposium and share knowledge with the finest top-tier Realtors across North America. Most awards go to the agents with the most production. This award is recognition for the quality of an agent's work. This is the reason it is an even greater honor to be singled out for my efforts representing my clients and selling their elegant and architecturally significant estate homes."

-Douglas Newby

Click here for more information on the Best Luxury Property Marketing Award presented to Douglas Newby in 2004.

Architectural styles of Dallas in the first half of the twentieth century reflected the eclectic styles that swept the country. San Francisco and Dallas are the same age cities and they began with Victorian architecture. Prairie Style might be found in Dallas 10 years later than in Oak Park and Evanstan, Illionis, where it originated or Spanish colonial revival might have taken a few years to arrive in Dallas after it's reintroduction in San Diego but generally the taste of Dallas reflected the taste of the country.

Between 1903 and 1907 Dallas saw an end of a style, the beginning of a style, the end of an era and the beginning of an era- one of planned development.

In 1905 the Alexander Mansion was the final mansion built on Ross Avenue. When the Munger Brothers opened up their new residence park in 1906, Dallas saw a new type of opulence, one more constrained and restrained like 5205 Swiss Avenue which was the first home built on the boulevard designated for mansions. These magnificent homes were sublimated to the restrains of the development. The architectural orchestration of these homes make the street far more splendid than any of the individual homes.

Just a few blocks away, C.D. Hill who had just left a prominent firm in Fort Worth built his own house on Junius in 1909. A year later in 1910 he was asked to design the first residence in Highland Park. The developers commissioned the home to create confidence and an architectural direction for this new community. This majestic home on the creek did just that. Two years later in 1912 C.D. Hill built the grandest city hall in Texas, a classic Beaux Arts style City Hall that now serves as the municipal building for Dallas. In 1924 Hill moved to Highland Park where he designed his new residence at 3318 Beverly.

The quality and diversity of Dallas' architecture can be traced to its roots. Dallas originated as a trading post and prospered as a city of trade. The Cotton Exchange, the oil business and banking industry brought people here from the region and from all parts of the world. The Sangers and the Neimans and the Marcus's brought sophisticated retailing to this new city and spurred a desire to for the best. Lang and Witchell Architects designed the Cotton Exchange and this elegant residence on Swiss Avenue boulevard for an oil man.

The European Eclectic architectural styles gave this Prairie town roots, a sense of history and permanence. There was an established order to the succession of developments that used quality architecture as beacons for their endeavors. Each decade the architectural mood might shift from Georgian to Tudor to Mediterranean or another fashionable style. The ceilings might become lower but the mass of the homes remain quite consistent up until the latter part of the twentieth century. An increasing population, prosperity and an abundance of land is the recipe for broad bands of residential developments reflecting the architectural sentiments of the country.

Despite the sudden academic shift in 1950 towards modernism lead by California architect Harwell Hamilton Harris at the University of Texas, the eclectic tradition remained vibrant in Dallas. As Dallas continued its love affair with homes rooted in the European tradition, eclectic architecture became more varied and the results more diverse.

Clients with eclectic tastes began hiring architects with modern sensibilities. One of three things would then happen: the architect would convert the client, he would acquiesce to the client or he would build a traditional home with modern materials, a liberated floor plan, and moldings and decorative elements reduced to a vestige of what they had originally represented.

There were also many good architects who were determined to further explore and refine the eclectic tradition.They traveled to Europe to painstakingly identify and then recreate details of period residences while adapting the new eclectic house to represent current lifestyles. There was no shortage of opportunities for these architects after 1950 as original eclectic hoes were replaced by new eclectic homes representing the fashion of the time. Bungalows built in 1930 were torn down to make room for new Georgian style homes, Tudor style homes were torn down for larger, grander Tudor homes, and undeveloped land often became sites for French influenced mansions.

But a greater development impacting eclectic architecture was the renovation, restoration, adaptation, remodeling, and expansion of existing eclectic homes that became popular in the 1970s as historic districts were designated and older neighborhoods were reclaimed. These modifications could have been designed by an architect, construed by a builder or orchestrated by a homeowner directing carpenters and subcontractors to incorporate the elements of many styles they found pleasing and functional.

Eclectic homes post-1950 might also be an eclectic home designed by its owner, an artist, who incorporated modern elements or adapted homes also heavily influenced by their owners. They are also eclectic homes in the purest form of this tradition.

Possessing an extensive knowledge of Dallas neighborhoods, you will benefit from the information written about Dallas historic neighborhoods in resources like "A Guide To The Older Neighborhoods of Dallas". Having organized and sponsored many historic Dallas neighborhood home tours, Dallas home buyers will gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the impeccable quality of each Dallas neighborhood.

The city was new with plenty of room for people and plenty of room for ideas. This is reflected in the modern architecture of Dallas. In the first half of the century, Dallas was being built, the architectural foundation laid, a sense of permanence desired. Classical styles from Europe add a culture and opulence to Dallas during a time that bois d'arc logs were used as pavers on Main street. The modern experiments originated with Texans influenced by modernism in Europe but committed to the indigenous principles of the region. Even monumental projects like the buildings for the 1936 Centennial Exposition at Fair Park were both Art Deco and Texanna. Fashion retailer, Stanley Marcus, whose day-to-day world spanned the ocean was the logical person to hire a architects DeWitt and Washburn to design his home in an International style in 1937.

Art Moderne and Art Deco houses were built in Dallas in 1936 as they were across the country. But it was not until the second half of the twentieth century that Modern architecture in Dallas became important.

In the 1950s, Edward Durell Stone, Harwell Hamilton Harris, and Frank Lloyd Wright all designed important homes in Dallas. By 1950, Dallas had an irrepressible confidence about itself and about its future. It became a modern, streamlined city. Modern skyscrapers soared downtown and contemporary homes kept expanding the northern boundaries of Dallas. Architecture was not so much to give the city credibility, but to broadcast that Dallas was moving ahead faster than any other city in the country. The quality of the architecture and importance of the architects show a city that was proud of its accomplishment, too busy to look back, and always moving forward.

The 1950s was a national era of optimism and in Dallas, only the optimistic survived. Many of the cities' leaders were contributors to and patrons of modern architecture.