City of Dallas Office of Historic Preservation

The City Council voted unanimously to designate the White Rock Cemetery Garden of Memories as a City of Dallas Historic Landmark. Thank you to Tony Suber, president of the Cemetery association; Sheniqua Cummings, board member; Dr. Rhonda Dunn, senior preservation planner, and the Designation Committee of the Landmark Commission. We appreciate all the hard work Sheniqua Cummings put into the project--researching the history, working with city staff and helping to shepherd this important site through the process. Thank you also to Larry Offutt, Landmark Commissioner, for his support along with all the Commissioners. Thank you also to City Council member Schulz for being such a great champion for this designation!

The Dallas Historic Preservation staff had lunch at one of the Preservation Dallas' Preservation Achievement Award winners, Cenzo's Pizza in Oak Cliff. The building is a former gas station that became a variety of things over the years. Congratulations to Cenzo's and all the Preservation Achievement Award Winners! Get your tickets for the Preservation Dallas awards on May 21st at the Historic Kalita Humphreys Theater Center (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright). https://preservationdallas.org/events/awards

Do you want to save some place special? Here's a 10-step guide from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

10 Steps to Start Saving Places | National Trust for Historic Preservation If you want to protect a place near and dear to your heart, but aren’t sure where to begin, then today’s toolkit is for you.

May is Preservation Month! Let's celebrate preservation in Dallas.
Why do we preserve? Here are some of the reasons we preserve. Feel free to add your own reasons in the comment section!

1) To save the places and sites we love! Imagine Dallas without your favorite neighborhoods.
2) Because no one ever moved to a city because of their Walmart or McDonalds! They move because a city offers historic areas and place, the arts, cultural places and spaces, parks and a great quality of life!
3) Preservation is a great tool for neighborhood revitalization! We have 21 historic districts to prove that.
4) Small businesses love historic buildings. Think of your favorite independent coffee shop--where is it? in a historic building!
5) Economic development: think of all the downtown buildings rehabilitated and spaces created for living, working, and enjoying life!
6) Preservation creates jobs--both short term construction jobs and long term jobs generated by businesses that move into those buildings.
7) Heritage tourism--preservation creates opportunities for heritage tourism--visiting historic sites and museums as well as touring neighborhoods and eating at restaurants in historic places. There are jobs created too!
8) Historic designations stabilize and improve property values.
9) Incentives for historic properties attract reinvestment.
10) Preservation is sustainable! The "greenest" building is the one already built. Historic buildings are “green” due to their design.
Retaining historic buildings promotes healthy and strong communities due to continuity of cultural identity.

Today the Dallas City Council, upon recommendation from the Landmark Commission and the City Plan Commission, voted unanimously to rescind the 3,000 square foot court ordered demolition section of the preservation ordinance. This provision of the ordinance had resulted in a significant number of demolitions in the Tenth Street Historic District as well as demolitions in Wheatley Place Historic District, both African American neighborhoods. Thank you to the neighborhoods who worked with us, to Preservation Dallas and to the Landmark Commission members. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Arnold led the way on this back in 2019 when she asked for a code amendment to remove city funding for the court ordered demolitions. In late 2023, the Landmark Commission sent a request to CPC to vote to rescind this provision which they did. And today was a culmination of these combined efforts. Thank you to all who helped move this forward, it is a wonderful victory for the neighborhoods and historic preservation in Dallas.

You may have noticed in the last few days that our web page has gone "missing." The City of Dallas is in the process of revamping department websites, and ours has migrated here:

https://dallascityhall.com/departments/developmentservices/historicpreservation/Pages/default.aspx

You can continue to access our forms and ordinances from here.

We hope to have updates to the site in the coming weeks, so please check back!

Home

Lindalyn Adams was an early champion of historic preservation who helped establish the Sixth Floor Museum in Dealey Plaza, among many other accomplishments that are detailed here. Her presence will be greatly missed, and our deepest condolences go out to her family and loved ones.

Lindalyn Adams Obituary - Dallas, TX Celebrate the life of Lindalyn Adams, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home.

You hear the word “Craftsman” a lot when talking about historic homes in Dallas. Craftsman was the most common style in the country during the first three decades of the 20th century, and it dominates many of our Landmarked historic districts because that is when our earliest neighborhoods were developed. Craftsman style is so common that it is frequently used as a catch-all term for any small modest wood-frame home, but it is a distinct style that will have a combination of features that will correctly identify it as a Craftsman home. So what does it mean to be a “Craftsman?” See our illustration below for many telltale features. Not every house will have every feature, but these are the most common ones. Look for a combination of several of these features to correctly identify the style. REFERENCE: “Field Guide to American Houses” by Virginia McAlester.

Another beautiful day in Old East Dallas! This is St. Joseph's Church and Academy at 2712 Swiss Avenue, designated as an official Dallas Landmark in 2010. The academy building on the right was built in 1905. The church was completed five years later, when it became the fifth Catholic church in the city. Both buildings are in Colonial Revival Style.

Did you know that you can find detailed information about each City of Dallas Landmark Historic District and individually Landmarked structure on our website? The page for each resource has information on the date of the designation, location, the preservation guidelines (i.e. ordinance), and the nomination report – which includes a detailed history and architectural description for the property or district. Click below to visit the page!

Historic Buildings

Join us tonight at 6:00 PM for an online meeting to discuss proposed fees for non-routine CA and CD applications.

Virtual Meeting 8/9/21: Proposed Fees for Certificate of Appropriateness and Demolition Applications The Office of Historic Preservation is hosting an online public meeting on Monday August 9th at 6:00 PM to discuss Certificate of Appropriateness and Demolition fees that have been proposed in the …

OHP is seeking applications for our Landmark Historic District Task Forces! Do you live in a Landmark district and want to be more involved? Here is your opportunity! See blog post for details. https://cityofdallaspreservation.wordpress.com/2021/08/05/city-of-dallas-seeking-volunteers-for-historic-district-task-forces-2021-2023/

City of Dallas Seeking Volunteers for Historic District Task Forces 2021-2023 Are you passionate about historic preservation? Would you like to be directly involved in the protection of Dallas’ historic resources? Volunteer opportunities are available on most of our Landmark…

Time for some wood window terminology 101! Most historic wood windows found in our historic homes have two sashes (movable panels), as this one does. Each sash can have multiple panes in each sash that are divided by muntins (long, thin pieces of wood). These smaller panes are called “lights.” The number of lights in each sash is used to classify the window type. So, for example, the window shown in the first photo is a 6-over-6 wood window. Sashes without muntins, such as the one shown in the second photo, are called 1-over-1 windows since they have no divided lights in either sash, just one big pane over another big pane. The third photo is a great example of a 9-over-1 wood window. Bonus: the wavy glass that is so common to historic wood windows is visible in photos 1 and 3. Wavy glass was hand-blown and was the only type available before the early 20th century when modern glass-making techniques emerged, and it is also an effect of age as gravity pulls down the glass. Sadly, historic wavy glass is becoming harder to find as people throw out their old wood windows, but some manufacturers specialize in it today.

(Reposted from our former page City of Dallas Sustainable Development and Construction)

If you grew up in Dallas, you probably recognize the neon Big Tex sign. We have good news! At their July meeting, Landmark Commission approved this sign as a permanent installation in the Midway at Fair Park.

A brief history: The 38’ tall neon Big Tex sign was originally built for Big D Value Mart and stood at North Central Expressway and Forest Lane for less than a year before the store closed in 1962. It was then sold to Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits and moved to that company’s location at North Central and Lovers Lane, where it stood for 31 years. In 1985, the sign was toppled during a severe storm and was repaired. Centennial declared bankruptcy in 1992 and neon Big Tex was relocated to their storefront at Stemmons Freeway and Walnut Hill that year. In 2013, AMC wanted to use the sign in a scene for “Halt and Catch Fire,” but noted that the neon tubing had become damaged over the years. The production company paid for a full restoration of the sign. It was then removed in 2015 and sold to the State Fair of Texas, who began displaying it seasonally during the fair.

The permanent installation will include seating at the base of the sign and is sure to become a popular meeting spot during events. We are thrilled that visitors will now be able to enjoy neon Big Tex year-round for decades to come!

What kind of roof styles do you see in Dallas historic districts? There are certainly more styles than are pictured here, but here are some very common ones. Which is your favorite?

We found some great photos of the Continental Gin buildings in our archives! Any guesses on the year? The Continental Gin Historic District (3301 Elm Street) consists of six well preserved buildings that were constructed in three phases between 1888 and 1914. The complex was originally a cotton factory, conveniently located on the Texas & Pacific rail line. Cotton was a main staple of the Dallas and East Texas economy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the Continental Gin factory grew to be one of the largest and most innovative in the country under the leadership of Robert S. and Stephen Munger. The buildings were designated as official Dallas Landmark structures in 1987.

Who could go for an ice-cold Dr. Pepper on this hot day? Did you know that the 400 block of S. 2nd Avenue was once the location of Dr. Pepper’s Dallas headquarters? The company was conveniently located between the Deep Ellum and Fair Park neighborhoods, which were interconnected until they were split up by the development of Interstate 30 in the late 1950s. The buildings at 425-429 S. 2nd Avenue served as their main offices and were constructed between 1929-1930. They exhibit Art Deco details similar to the architecture of Fair Park. The warehouse style buildings at 409-413 S. 2nd Avenue make up the remainder of the blockface and were pre-existing prior to Dr. Pepper’s move. These buildings served as the bottling and distribution center. The company remained here until 1948 when they relocated to new headquarters at 5523 E. Mockingbird Lane in North Dallas. The 2nd Avenue buildings are protected City of Dallas Landmarks. The company's Streamline Moderne-style Mockingbird headquarters was demolished in 1997.

What a difference!

Case Study: Removal of Non-Historic Paint from the Knights of Pythias Building Exterior The Knights of Pythias building, a designated Dallas Landmark structure, is a great example of how to remove non-historic paint  from an historic brick and cast stone façade. The building was …

A Short History of Dallas’ Oak Lawn / Cedar Springs Neighborhood The area we now know as Oak Lawn/ Cedar Springs got its start in 1846 when William Grigsby, a veteran of the Texas Revolution, sold 320 acres of land to businessman John Cole who established a stor…

Did you know you can watch Landmark Commission meetings online? Follow the link on the agenda below. Next public hearing is today at 1:00 PM.http://citysecretary2.dallascityhall.com/pdf/meetings/060721_LMC.pdf

citysecretary2.dallascityhall.com

Fair Park Community Park Interactive Input Session Registration Form – June 1 Join us at the Coliseum at Fair Park on Tuesday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m. for an interactive input session on the new Community Park. You and your family will have the opportunity to review preliminary design concepts and share your thoughts and ideas with our design team while enjoying being outside at....

Click below to keep up with the progress we are making on the historic resources survey and context assessment of Downtown Dallas and Deep Ellum!

Update on the Historic Context Assessment and Historic Resources Survey of Downtown Dallas and Deep Ellum On Tuesday, May 18th at 6pm, the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) held a virtual public outreach meeting on the  Historic Context Assessment and Historic Resources Survey of Downtown Dall…

Did you know that we have a Flickr site with over 6700 photos uploaded? We do! This is our most viewed photo at just under 4500 views. It is of the Baker Hotel, which stood at the corner of Akard and Commerce Streets and was demolished in 1980 to make way for One AT&T Plaza. The hotel was built in 1925 and hosted prominent members of Dallas society, debutante balls, society galas, movie stars, and even past presidents. It was also the home of WFAA radio. See more photos like this on our Flickr site! https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityofdallaspreservation/albums

Our office has received a complete application for the demolition of the main structure at 1520 McKell Street. The building is listed as a contributing structure in a Demolition Delay Overlay (DDO-2), which qualifies it for the 45-day demolition delay period. A meeting has been scheduled to discuss options with the property owners and other interested parties and is open to the public in accordance with the demolition delay process, Section 51A-4.504 of the Dallas City Code.

Please note that comments made on social media are not submitted in the public meeting.

Demolition Delay Phase II Meeting: 1520 McKell Street Demolition Delay Phase II meeting for 1520 McKell StreetThursday, May 27, 2021 at 2:00 PMVideoconferencePlease click here to view the agenda. Our office has received a complete application for the …

Graffiti removal from the Bama Pie Company facade, an individually designated Landmark structure, was a success and is a great example of how to remove graffiti from historic masonry the right way!

Successful Graffiti Removal at Bama Pie Co Building Good news! Workers were able to successfully remove graffiti from the rear façade of the Bama Pie Company building, which is an individually designated Dallas Landmark structure. Removal of graffi…

Join DHS, tomorrow May 11th on Facebook for an intimate conversation with living relatives of both Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, better known as the ill-fated romantic partners-in-crime, Bonnie and Clyde. Rhea Leen Linder, niece of Bonnie Parker and Buddy Barrow, nephew of Clyde Barrow. They’ll join us for a virtual discussion and reveal little known family stories about the pair. Register online via profile or at www.DallasHistory.org

South Boulevard Park Row was initiated as a Dallas Landmark Historic District in 1977, the same year as the Swiss Avenue Historic District. Like Swiss, South Boulevard Park Row is characterized by a large number of intact homes of varying sizes and architectural styles. The neighborhood was developed by members of Dallas' Jewish community who attended Temple Emmanu-El which, at the time, was located at the corner of South Boulevard and Harwood Street.

When most people think of Swiss Avenue Historic District they think of the large mansions along Swiss Avenue, but the district actually consists of several other major streets – Bryan Parkway, Live Oak, and La Vista. There are over 200 homes of varying sizes and architectural styles in the district! Swiss Avenue was designated as a protected Dallas Landmark Historic District in 1977.

Our office has received a complete application for the demolition of the main structure at 712 Elsbeth Street. The building is listed as a contributing structure in a Demolition Delay Overlay (DDO-1) and is located in the Miller-Stemmons National Register District, which qualifies it for the 45-day demolition delay period. A meeting has been scheduled to discuss options with the property owners and other interested parties and is open to the public in accordance with the demolition delay process, Section 51A-4.504 of the Dallas City Code.

Please note that comments made on social media are not included in the public hearing.

Demolition Delay Phase II Meeting: 712 Elsbeth Street Demolition Delay Phase II meeting for 712 Elsbeth StreetMonday, April 19, 2021 at 10:00 AMVideoconferencePlease click here to view the agenda. Our office has received a complete application for the…