Dallas Has Been Waiting 45 Years For This Hal Thomson Designed Home to Come on the Market
3925 Potomac Avenue, Dallas, Texas

How does a home become one of the favorite homes in Highland Park? In the case of 3925 Potomac, it has happened over a span of 100 years. From the time architect Hal Thomson designed this home for his family, it has been admired by those in Highland Park and across Dallas.

The Reputation of Hal Thomson Has Continued to Grow Over 100 Years

The reputation of Hal Thomson grew from the success of the magnificent mansions he designed on Swiss Avenue and the grand homes he designed in Highland Park. The reverential architectural admiration for Hal Thomson brought even greater attention and affection for his own home that he designed on Potomac Avenue.

European Architectural Influence on Hal Thomson

Hal Thomson graduated from the University of Texas and then he received his architecture degree from MIT. After graduating from MIT, he took a grand tour of Europe seeing and sketching the great architecture of Europe. On his return, Hal Thomson rapidly became the society architect of Dallas, designing grand homes with the finest proportions and refined detail in an array of classical European eclectic styles including Italian, Georgian, Mediterranean and Beaux Arts.

New England Influence of Hal Thomson

For his own home, Hal Thomson pulled not from the great cities and countrysides of France, England or Italy, but from the charming houses he saw in Boston and New England when he was studying architecture at MIT. A charming and intimate New England-style home did not require a prominent boulevard like Swiss Avenue in Munger Place or a prominent drive like Beverly Drive in Highland Park. Hal Thomson selected a site that would best enhance the look and feel of a New England-style home. The site at 3925 Potomac Avenue was perfect as it was on a hill next to a very large forested lot that sloped down to Turtle Creek, with the Dallas Country Club golf course located across the creek. The design of the home accentuated the bucolic atmosphere of this neighborhood filled with trees.

Hal Thomson Made Grand Homes Look Simple and Simple Homes Look Grand

The home at 3925 Potomac Avenue made me think about the architectural genius of Hal Thomson with greater insight. Having sold many of the homes he designed and having written about others, I have always been impressed, first, by how attracted I was to his homes. And then I was impressed by how others, ranging from the casual observer unfamiliar with Hal Thomson or architects in general, would be drawn to houses designed by Hal Thomson as well as art museum directors with a trained eye for aesthetics, who were also attracted to Hal Thomson-designed homes. My conclusion was one does not need to have architectural training to understand the beautiful proportions and the refined detail with which Hal Thomson articulated his homes.

Having recently sold 5323 Swiss Avenue, designed by Hal Thomson, the moldings and detail he used were fresh in my mind when I recently visited 3925 Potomac Avenue. I realized that the moldings and detail in the much smaller home on Potomac were very similar to the much larger home on Swiss Avenue. Also, the proportions of the formal rooms and the luxury of space and the openness of the connecting rooms were very similar. In both homes one can stand in one room and see sunlight in all four directions. It made me realize that 5323 Swiss Avenue caught one’s attention before similar sized homes on Swiss Avenue, where the architects tried to gain attention by using greater architectural exuberance and dramatic displays of contrasting brick, stone and wood. Grand Hal Thomson homes on Swiss Avenue and in Highland Park were designed with more nuance and more subtle layers of detail that do not stand out to the eye but penetrate the emotion of the viewer.

Hal Thomson Selected the Site to Set the Mood for a Warm, Inviting Home

It seems readily apparent that when Hal Thomson was designing a home for his own family, he wanted it to be a home that would radiate joy. Hal Thomson began by selecting the site, a large .29-acre lot that descends to the creek, allowing sightlines of trees and nature. There is a very relaxed, inviting quality about the house that conveys a warm intimacy and generates happiness to those living in the home.

3925 Potomac Was Designed to Capture the Minds and Hearts of the Homeowners

One can see the deliberate effort to make the home seem not more grand, but actually warmer and cozier and to submit to its bucolic site. He did this in part by creating the illusion of a smaller home by designing tall columns and a tall front porch picket fence.

However, this is by no means a simple house. While it is a smaller house, it includes elements of the largest homes of this period. It is one of the rare homes in Dallas to be built with a quarter basement customarily found in the most expensive architect-designed homes of the period to accommodate mechanical systems and storage. The elegance of the home, consistent with the most expensive homes of the era, is conveyed by Hal Thomson creating a graceful curving staircase to the second floor. He also used similar detailing on the fireplace surround as found in his larger homes and he deployed delicate but elaborate ceiling moldings that he was known for. The wide plank peg floors are themselves a statement to the detail, quality and sense of warmth conveyed throughout the house.

Hal Thomson’s Own Home is Best Example of Home Designed to Look Smaller

The home at 3925 Potomac Avenue is architect Hal Thomson’s best example of a home he designed to be smaller and, at first glance, appear to be a simple home. However, upon entering, one is seduced by the grand gestures of its elaborate detailing, tall arched openings, curved staircase and glorious proportions. And why wouldn’t it be his best example of combining warmth with elegance—it was the home Hal Thomson designed for himself and his family after all!

Interior of 3925 Potomac Avenue is Larger Than One Imagines

When one enters this Highland Park home, it is much larger than one imagines. Upon entering the home, one is not overwhelmed with an opulent room or massive staircase. Rather, from the entrance one looks down the wide corridor that connects the width of the home as it visually introduces the scale, ample proportions of the rooms, and the exquisite detail that is found throughout the home. As the owner of the home for the last 44 years says, “It’s easy to host a party for 75 but hard to sleep more than 4 guests.” The home is not designed as a dormitory or for superfluous guest bedrooms. This Highland Park home was designed to entertain lavishly and have intimate spaces for reading and thoughtful conversations.

One is Drawn From One End of this Hal Thomson Designed Home to the Other

Each room or space seen from the wide horizontal corridor is inviting. After entering from the front door, one can see through the windows in the living room on one side of the home and through the windows in the dining room at the other end of the home. In the living room, one is drawn to the fireplace and elaborately carved fireplace surround at one end of the formal living room to the library wall at the other end of the living room. In the middle of the living room, one enjoys seeing nature through the windows on all four walls of the room. Further, one sees sunlight streaming through the dining room windows on the opposite end of the home. The sunlit filled breakfast room and the screen porch further accentuates the open characteristics of the home. Every room in this architecturally significant home has its specific allure.

Studio and Loft in Rear Garden Designed by Architect Wilson Fuqua

One sees from the screened porch and nestled behind the garden a studio and loft that architect Wilson Fuqua redesigned. This is another enchanting space that overlooks the koi pond and is embraced by nature. 


The studio space is useful and delightful. The stairs lead up to a light-filled loft with an angled wall of skylights. This bedroom loft space that includes a full bathroom is both dramatic and relaxing.

Through the Decades, 3925 Potomac Has Been a Favorite Place to be Invited for Dinner or Parties

There are some homes, like this one, that always make a guest smile when invited to an intimate dinner or a large party. The memories of fun, frivolity and thoughtful conversations add to the mystique and enduring affection for this home in Highland Park.

Magazines Have Continued to Feature the Home

This significant Highland Park home has been featured by numerous magazines including one that identified the home as one of the 10 most charming homes in Dallas.

Preservation Park Cities Has Identified 3925 Potomac as One of the Ten Most Architecturally Significant Homes in Highland Park

As a result of Preservation Park Cities undertaking a three-year survey of all the historic and architecturally significant homes in University Park and Highland Park, they were able to identify 3925 Potomac, designed by architect Hal Thomson, as one of the 10 most historic and architecturally significant homes in Highland Park and University Park.

Historic, Preservation and Architectural Groups Have Featured the Home on Tours and as the Location for Special Events

Historical societies, preservation groups, architectural organizations and charitable organizations have featured the home on tours and as the location for events.

Many Prominent Guests Have Enjoyed This Home

Over the years, many have wanted to introduce their friends to this home as it represents fine architecture and a home that conveys the warmth and civility of Highland Park. Here, guests have been received including movie stars like Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper, international political leaders, business titans, culinary celebrities like Jim Beard and Julia Child, and famous architects and interior designers like Ken Blasingame, and even Cuba’s Minister of Architecture and Culture, Mario Coyola, who was part of Castro’s original rebel team. The homeowners hosted Mario Coyola in their Dallas home after they met him on a cultural trip with esteemed art historian Rick Brettell to Cuba.

The Most Important Attention Given to 3925 Potomac is From the Public

While 3925 Potomac Avenue has received great attention from many organizations, Highland Park residents and friends of the family, the most important attention and affection this Hal Thomson designed home receives is from the enduring admiration of the public. People might see the home for the first time when they ride their bike by it or inadvertently drive down the street that ends at Turtle Creek. Once someone sees the home, they fall in love with it for all the reasons architect Hal Thomson intended.

Hal Thomson is the Godfather of Dallas Architects and the Godfather of Highland Park Architecture

Hal Thomson has always been an inspiration for Dallas architects. Almost every Dallas architect-designed architecturally significant eclectic home has been designed by an architect who reveres and has been inspired by Hal Thomson. In addition to the architecturally significant homes Hal Thomson designed in Highland Park, he also trained architect Marion Fooshee who along with James Cheek designed Highland Park Village and many other notable Highland Park homes that joined those designed by Hal Thomson to set the architectural tone for Highland Park.

Hal Thomson Understood 3925 Potomac Avenue Location, Neighborhood and Site

A home’s land, location, neighborhood and site determine its ultimate value. The characteristics and quality of a home is essential to evaluating a home’s value. However, the underlying platform for a home’s real value is the lot dimension, location, neighborhood and site. The home at 3925 Potomac excels in all these criteria.

Lot Dimensions of 3925 Potomac Avenue

The ample amount of Highland Park land consisting of .29 acres at 3925 Potomac is desirable in itself. The width of the lot (street frontage) is 75 feet wide. This lot is wider than many lots that are over one-half acre. It pushes neighboring homes further away, creating a secluded environment with lovely spacing between homes. A depth of 167 feet creates much space for gardens, a koi pond, a dog run and a tree canopied back yard further enjoyed from the screened porch and balcony terrace.

Back Yard and Rear Garden of 3925 Potomac Avenue

Architect Hal Thomson selected a wide lot with plenty of depth to accommodate a rear terrace, back yard, rear garden, koi pond, garage, studio and loft. Also, the alley could provide access to a rear entry garage in the way the next-door neighbor utilizes the alley to access their garage.

The front roofline and the beautiful proportions of this Hal Thomson designed front facade can remain intact, and the rear roofline modified for an addition to the rear of the home. The large lot would allow the house to be expanded to over 6,500 square feet and still have a graceful back yard and rear garden. An expansion to 4,300 square feet would not change the rear setback building line of the home.

Highland Park Location of 3925 Potomac Avenue

There is a reason Highland Park is one of the finest residential locations in the country. It has all the attributes one could want – schools, safety, parks and amenities like Highland Park Village, Dallas Country Club and SMU, which is located across the street from the town of Highland Park, and the Dallas downtown Arts District and Old Parkland just two and a half miles away.

3925 Potomac Avenue is in the Mount Vernon Neighborhood of Highland Park

Highland Park comprises 21 specific neighborhoods. Every Highland Park neighborhood has its special attributes and desirable characteristics. Homeowners are drawn to each of them for different reasons. The Mount Vernon neighborhood in Highland Park is one of my favorites because it is a hidden, secluded, forested neighborhood. In Highland Park, it is bounded by Turtle Creek and the Dallas Country Club golf course, and it is just around the corner from the clubhouse of the Dallas Country Clubwhich is just a few blocks away, as well as being just a few blocks away from the shops and restaurants of Highland Park Village. The Mount Vernon neighborhood is also topographically pleasing as it is built on a hill that descends towards Turtle Creek with a backdrop of the Dallas Country Club golf course. This is the only neighborhood in Highland Park where the number of walkers enjoying the neighborhood exceeds the number of cars going by. Unless you live in the neighborhood or have a friend visiting, there is no reason to drive down these series of streets that end at the creek. The topography and wide lots separate the significant Mount Vernon neighborhood homes that span 100 years. Here, one finds architectural styles from each decade that beautifully meld into a neighborhood mosaic of architectural excellence. Here, important historic homes, award-winning modern homes and renovated architect-designed midcentury modern homes add to the feeling of an established, gracefully evolving neighborhood.

3925 Potomac Avenue is on an Extraordinary Site

I have always said a beautiful site is even more important than a location or neighborhood when it comes to making someone happy living in their home. A beautiful site is a beautiful site no matter its location. Also, I often mention that architects have the best instincts for good sites for the homes they design. Many of the great homes in Dallas designed by the best architects are on fabulous sites.

Architect Hal Thomson Had an Instinct for Selecting the Best Sites for His Homes

Hal Thomson is considered the godfather of Dallas architects. He designed the grandest homes in Dallas in the early 1900s and they were all placed on wonderful sites. One can only imagine the care he put into the selection of the site for the home he designed for himself and his family. Hal Thomson, for his own home, selected 3925 Potomac Avenue in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Highland Park. It is interesting that he did not select the lot at the end of the street that is along Turtle Creek and the Dallas Country Club golf course. Instead, Hal Thomson selected a site that is one lot up the relatively steep hill from Turtle Creek. I compare this selection to that of seats at a theater. One might choose the front row looking up at the stage and its actors or conductor or select a seat a few rows back to have a full view of the stage and backdrop. When one approaches 3925 Potomac, one sees the flowering trees and lush undergrowth lining the creek and through this veil of green one sees a backdrop of the expansive rolling golf course.

Attractive Potomac Topography

The site at 3925 Potomac is completely out of the 100-year flood plain while the first lot next to the creek is impacted by the flood plain since it is at the bottom of the hill, next to the creek. Since Dallas and Highland Park were primarily developed out of flat cotton fields, we forget how attractive it is for homes to be built on a street that descends down a hill. The home next to 3925 Potomac Avenue almost disappears because it is built on a much lower elevation.

Neighboring Home Almost Disappears

Another fortuitous advantage of the site at 3925 Potomac is the neighboring home was designed by Bud Oglesby, an iconic Dallas modern architect who purposefully submitted the design of the home to the landscape. He created long, horizontal spaces, resulting in great views from the house rather than build a tall vertical home that would impose itself on the neighborhood.

Architectural Context of 3925 Potomac Avenue

When I was in grade school and my father was helping me pick out my first pair of glasses, he said it shouldn’t matter to me what they look like because it was everyone else who was going to have to look at them. Hal Thomson wanted a beautiful house he and his family could look at across the street from his home. He knew what he was looking at across the street would increase his and his family’s happiness in their home at 3925 Potomac. I do not think it is a coincidence that the very next year, after he designed his own home, he designed the home across the street in the same charming New England influenced style and scale. To have a pair of homes that beautifully relate to each other is a treat for both homeowners and the rest of the Highland Park community walking by.

The Dilbeck Designed Four Sisters is Another Good Example of Architectural Context

Perhaps the best example of architectural context is the Four Sisters that architect Charles Dilbeck designed in University Park at the intersection of Shenandoah Street and Douglas Avenue. Charles Dilbeck is a beloved architect who designed hundreds of houses and many delightful homes close to the Four Sisters. Yet the Four Sisters are well known and much coveted by buyers because to have a Dilbeck-designed home on all four corners provides such a delightful context. At 3925 Potomac Avenue and 3926 Potomac Avenue, the context is even more powerful because Hal Thomson homes are revered, but relatively rare.

3900 Block of Potomac is a Favorite Block in Highland Park

The 3900 block of Potomac is one of my favorite blocks because of the dynamic range of significant homes. They all feel like they belong on the street, including the two Hal Thomson homes that transport one to an elegant era of friendly neighbors and stately homes.

Hal Thomson Home Lends Itself to Graceful Expansion

Since Hal Thomson designed this home with high ceilings, large formal rooms and a wide entrance hall, the home would aesthetically have the same proportions and look and feel with space added. Further working to one’s architectural advantage is that the home was designed across a wide lot, creating a home just one and two rooms deep. A new family room connecting to the kitchen and to the front entrance hall on the first floor would not change the flow or the rear setback of the home. A new primary bedroom with a large bathroom and closet could be added to the second floor while also maintaining the look and flow of the home. The current 3,000 square foot home can be gracefully expanded to over 4,300 square feet and would include a renovated kitchen, new half bathroom, family room and new primary bedroom for a total of three bedrooms and two and one-half bathrooms along with the existing relatively new studio and loft designed by architect Wilson Fuqua that is nestled in the rear garden. With the expansion, a homeowner would have the same size rooms and amenities of a much larger home.

Love When the Land is Worth the Listing Price and a Buyer Acquires an Elegant Home as Well

I always tell my friends and clients to look for the best site and then try to find as much house included in the sale as possible. This home is the best example of exploiting the value of the land while simultaneously obtaining the contributing value of a spectacular and architecturally significant home already on the site. The cost of renovating and expanding this 3,000 square foot home to 4,300 square feet, or much larger, would be a fraction of the cost of building a similar sized new home. Furthermore, the future homeowner will have a home virtually impossible to recreate and one that continues to be lovingly admired. A front facade easement will maintain the architectural magnificence of this home.

Homes on 3900 Block of Potomac Share a Setback and Scale

A View Up the Hill from the Original Bud Oglesby Designed Home on Potomac

A View Potomac Avenue Neighbors Share

Two Modern Homes with the Design or Renovation Design by Architect Larry Speck Add Additional Architectural Interest to Potomac

Turtle Creek and Golf Course are Backdrop for the 3900 Block of Potomac Avenue

The Home Hal Thomson Designed For His Family Is Inviting

Potomac Avenue is an oasis in Highland Park.

Setting of Potomac Avenue