Old East Dallas

One of the Five Best Homes on Swiss Just Sold – Architect Hal Thomson

Hal Thomson Historic Home on Swiss Avenue  Sold by Douglas Newby

Swiss Avenue is the cradle of Dallas architecture and architecturally significant homes. Architect Hal Thomson, who designed this home in 1914 at 5323 Swiss Avenue, is the godfather of Dallas architects. Many don’t realize the impact and influence the homes on Swiss Avenue and architect Hal Thomson have on the architecture and architects in Dallas. Many consider 5323 Swiss to be one of the best five homes in the Swiss Avenue Historic District and one of the most architecturally significant homes in Dallas. You can scroll through Centennial Pictures of all 100 homes on Swiss Avenue and determine what you think are the best five homes on Swiss Avenue.

After a Grand Tour of Europe, Hal Thomson Made His Mark on Swiss Avenue

Henry B. Thomson (Hal Thomson) was a society architect who after his grand tour of Europe made his mark on Swiss Avenue before he began designing architecturally significant homes in Highland Park. The Aldredge house also on Swiss Avenue and 5323 Swiss Avenue that Douglas Newby recently sold quickly come to mind when one thinks of architect Hal Thomson.

Douglas Newby Sold and Closed Lang & Witchell Designed Home on Swiss Avenue in Ten Days

Architects Lang & Witchell Designed Home on Swiss Avenue Boulevard  Sold by Douglas Newby

This architecturally significant Lang & Witchell designed home is the architectural exclamation mark of this Swiss Avenue block that boasts three Lang & Witchell architect-designed homes. National award-winning Realtor Douglas Newby has now sold every home on this block face of Swiss Avenue boulevard, including all three Lang & Witchell designed architecturally significant homes on the block.

David Williams Designed Home

David Williams Originated Texas Modern Style

Architect David Williams originated the Texas Modern Style inspired by Texas and Louisiana indigenous homes. The home at 6292 Mercedes Avenue in Wilshire Heights Neighborhood in Dallas that he designed for Ray McDowell in 1927 is where David Williams jumped off from the blatant Spanish Colonial eclecticism prevalent in the 1920s and designed a more “Texas Colonial” style home reflecting the indigenous qualities of East Texas and Louisiana. As architectural historian Jay C. Henry wrote in his fabulous book, Architecture in Texas 1895-1945, David Williams’ work was further inspired by the colonists led by Stephen Fuller Austin in 1821. David Williams said, “Their comfort demanded a little beauty and a great deal of taste. There is not in any one of these houses built in the Southwest before 1850 an instance of imitation of foreign styles, of sham, of striving for effect, of any use of unnatural, unnecessary ornament or of material not structural and fit for its purpose….Their style is modern, for it satisfies all the requirements of modern design and construction.”

Munger Place Home Built in 2016

4946 Victor Street, Dallas, Texas  Sold by Douglas Newby

Horizontal banks of tall double-hung windows across the front of the home allow natural light to illuminate the four-bedroom, three and one-half bath Munger Place Historic District home. The front porch roof shields the home from the harsh midday sun. The wide, three-foot eaves that are another architectural signature of Munger Place further protect the interior from direct afternoon sun. The wide and deep front porch contributes to the architectural continuity of the historic district and provides another living space for family or another space to entertain visiting friends or neighbors.

Early 20th Century Modern Home on Swiss Avenue For Sale

5,300 Square Foot Home on .52 Acres  Sold by Douglas Newby

The early modern home at 5017 Swiss Avenue expresses the architectural influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan. The carved band of Sullivanesque detail, the Sullivanesque relief ornamentation on the dormer,under the deep eaves, and on the panel between the second story windows are outstanding examples of the Progressive Style and Prairie School architecture. This ornamentation emphasizes the streamlined horizontal lines of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs.

Munger Place Home for Sale

One of the Finest Homes in Historic District  Sold by Douglas Newby

This Munger Place home received the Restoration House of the Year Award when it was first restored by a founder of Preservation Dallas. Recently, it has been further renovated by its current owners who are in the design industry, including a new kitchen. Beautiful front doors open to the wrap-around porch in a neighborhood known for its front porch atmosphere and neighborhood collegiality.

Munger Place Historic District

Munger Place was the first single-family historic district in the city. This neighborhood is in the center of vibrant Old East Dallas neighborhoods, and it is surrounded by three other historic districts: Jefferson Peak Historic District, Junius Heights Historic District, and Swiss Avenue Historic District.