Disappearing Details

Iconic street, iconic home, iconic architect. Facing the last few moments of the life of a home, one reflects on the home’s impact and why it made such an impact. It is the composition and articulation of Hal Thomson’s architectural detail at 4908 Lakeside that made this home the most iconic and admired home on Lakeside Drive. I have even come to the conclusion that the reason Highland Parks’ Lakeside Drive has been thought of as one of the five iconic streets in Dallas is because of this Hal Thomson-designed home and its flourishes of restrained romantic details perfectly proportioned and distributed. When one thinks of Lakeside Drive, one thinks of this Old Highland Park home. It is these details that have sustained Henry B. Thomson as the iconic Dallas architect of the early 20th Century. Hal Thomson is the one Dallas architect admired by all current architects of Dallas and revered by historicist architects who are inspired by his work. I recall the late Ted Pillsbury, the former director of the Kimball Art Museum remarking on the perfect composition and details of his favorite Dallas home—one by Hal Thomson. I continually find myself visually stopping at each Hal Thomson house when I ride my bike on Swiss Ave. These homes are familiar as I have ridden by them thousands of times. The Hal Thomson houses seemingly blend into the landscape of other architecturally significant homes on the street that are of a similar size and setback, yet the Hal Thomson houses catch my attention every time. I look closer and wonder why the home has such profound effect on me. I come to the conclusion it is the details. The details are romantic, elegant and refined, but are subtle, the last thing you notice. Slide through to see images of details hopefully imprinted in our minds and of architects. Great community sentiment came for the home to be saved. Beyond contacting the owners, what efforts were made over the last year, 5 years, 25 years to save the home. Additional strategies are needed. We need to start saving homes. *Disappearing Details

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