Despite the fact that a considerable lot of the homes in Dallas these days appear to be new forms, there are still pockets of the city where you can see as perfectly safeguarded and nicely refreshed noteworthy homes of all sizes and styles.
“On the off chance that you start in midtown Dallas and brave your bicycle through the areas, every mile you could see another compositional impact,” says Douglas Newby, a land merchant, notable home subject matter expert, and expert chronicler who keeps a strong site of Dallas’ most critical engineering plans.
Since its establishing in 1841, Dallas has drawn in individuals around the world, and variety is reflected all through the city by means of its engineering. “It was a totally open town that embraced new individuals coming here and their thoughts. Dallas has forever been an extremely ground breaking city. It designed itself both by developing its provincial modelers and investigating planners from different districts,” Newby notes.
While even the most relaxed eyewitnesses can remove some enthusiasm for these homes, recognizing and figuring out the engineering on a more profound level, from the qualities to the development of each style, is a substantially more compensating exercise. It’s a three-layered Dallas history illustration.
| Architectural Style | Description | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Colonial | Originating in New England, Colonial homes are characterized by simplicity and symmetry. | Side-gabled roofs, flat-faced wooden structures, minimal decoration. |
| Georgian | Solid and symmetrical, Georgian architecture reflects a sense of order and dignity. | Paneled doors, dentil molding, large windows. |
| Federal | Evolved from Georgian style, Federal architecture features more elaborate detailing and proportions. | Tripartite windows, decorative crown over doors. |
| Victorian | Known for its eclectic styles and intricate details, Victorian architecture emerged in the 19th century. | Steep roofs, asymmetrical facades, extensive ornamentation. |
| Stick Style | Transitional between Gothic Revival and Queen Anne, this style emphasizes structural elements as decoration. | Exposed beams, patterned siding, steeply pitched roofs. |
| Queen Anne | Characterized by its asymmetry and variety of materials, Queen Anne homes often feature elaborate details. | Turrets, bay windows, decorative shingles. |
| Tudor | Mimicking old English cottages, Tudor homes combine Gothic Revival elements with steeply pitched roofs. | Brick first stories with stucco or half-timbering above. |
| Bungalow | Simple in design with a focus on functionality, Bungalows often feature open floor plans and low roofs. | Wide front porches, dormered roofs, built-in furniture. |
| Greek Revival | Inspired by ancient Greek architecture, this style became popular in the mid-1800s for its democratic symbolism. | Gabled roofs, large columns, wide porches. |
Victorian (Late 1800s)
Architectural features:
Look for asymmetrical facades, steeply pitched and irregularly shaped roofs with multiple gables, dormers (vertical windows in a mini-roofed structure), and expansive porches. Queen Anne houses, a substyle of Victorian, often have stylistic shingling, elaborate decoration, and colorful exterior paint with different shades accentuating the trim and stained glass windows.
Victorian design grandstands the developments of the Modern Unrest, so it’s less about high-quality contacts and more about machine-delivered subtleties.
Where to see it: Make a beeline for the convergence of Swiss Road and Oak Road, only north of Profound Ellum. That is where you’ll find the Wilson Block, an architecturally significant area that offers 22 sections of land of period Victorian houses and fresher designs that match the style. Then, visit State Thomas, an Uptown neighborhood with the city’s biggest assortment of unblemished Victorian structures. Come to around 2603 Fairmount St. To see one of the most mind-blowing instances of Dallas’ Sovereign Anne Victorian engineering: the Allen House, worked in 1889.
Prairie (1900-1920)
Architectural features:
This style is unmistakably American and resembles Human expression and Specialty development that esteemed handcrafting over industrialization, a pendulum swing from Victorian architecture. Spearheaded by Blunt Lloyd Wright, these homes are known for various gatherings of windows, single-story patios with square backings, low-pitched rooftops with wide overhang and profound shades; that’s what open, streaming floor designs “underscore transparency and local area,” as indicated by the Candid Lloyd Wright Establishment; and even lines that mirror the vibe of a grassland.
Where to see it: You’ll find the biggest flawless assortment of grassland-impacted homes in North Texas in the Munger Spot, an architecturally significant area laid out in 1905. “This was the primary arranged advancement [in Texas],” Newby shares. “Previously, everyone sort of did what they needed. This was the most lofty area west of the Mississippi, and they expected a architect to design the houses and had controls set up for progression.” Grassland homes can likewise be found on Swiss Road: an architecturally significant area, a neighborhood with a different assortment of generally critical homes.
Craftsman (1905-1930)
Architectural features:
There are many characteristics that identify architecture-style homes, such as exposed rafters, a low-pitched roof, decorative braces around the gables, and thick, tapered, squared-off columns on the porch. Pass through the doors, and you’ll see numerous windows in styles similar to Prairie windows, stained glass, built-in seating and nooks, paneling, and other woodwork. There are some examples of two-story homes, but they are more common among one-story homes. Inspired partly by the same Arts and Crafts movement that influenced Prairie architecture, Craftsman homes favor natural materials and handcrafted touches.
European eclectic (Early to mid-1900s)
Architectural features:
The umbrella term “European eclectic” refers to architecture that blends local tastes, regional materials, and more modern principles with various European styles. According to Newby, European architecture was adapted by American architects.
Where to see it: There are few places to see European eclectic homes than the Swiss Avenue Historic District. The Aldredge House at 5500 Swiss Ave., built in 1917, is an example of European eclectic architecture.
To see an adaptation of Spanish Eclecticism, visit the Lakewood area, where you’ll see dozens of houses with cream-colored brick exteriors, colorfully tiled roofs, courtyards, and iron gates. Another example of Spanish Eclecticism can be found at Highland Park Village, which was built in 1931. Marion Fooshee, one of the architects behind Highland Park Village, also worked with Dallas architect Hal Thomson on the Aldredge House.
Tudor Revival (1920s-1940s)
Architectural features:
While Tudor Revival homes are a subset of the European eclectic category, we’re breaking them out into their section because they’re particularly popular in Dallas. Tudor Revivals is an American interpretation of a range of English styles and feature decorative half-timbering, steeply pitched roofs, multiple gables (or peaks), casement windows (which open outward on side hinges), decorative chimneys and passageways that are rounded or arched. There is a fairytale quality to Tudor cottages, which are typically smaller.
Where to see it: Greenland Hills developed in the 1920s and more popularly known as “the M Streets” (since several area streets begin with the letter M) is one of the largest collections of Tudor Revival homes in Texas; 65% of the homes are Tudor Revival. Several Tudor-style homes are in the Hollywood/Santa Monica neighborhood; you can also see some in Lakewood, Kessler Park, and the Park Cities.
Dallas’ M Streets-Vickery Place neighborhoods offer charming homes surrounded by city life Texas modern (1920s-present)
Architectural features:
Texas modern homes feature limestone and brick, metal roofs, large windows, patios, long, low profiles, open floor plans, and carved woodwork. Originating in the 1920s, Texas modernism relies on local materials and designs appropriate for the Texas climate. Texas Modern’s core ideas of functional living spaces, responsiveness to the environment, and natural materials continue to influence contemporary design, Newby says.
Where to see it: Preservation Dallas calls Williams House, designed in 1932 and located at 3805 McFarlin Blvd. University Park is the most significant example of Texas regionalism. It features hand-carved woodwork, a mural painting by Texas regionalist painter Jerry Bywaters, and other Texas-specific features. Other modern Texas homes can be seen in Preston Hollow and Highland Park.
Mid-Century Modern (1950s and 1960s)
Architectural features:
Sprawling layouts, single-story designs, open floor plans, emphasis on natural light, and geometric influences characterize mid-century modern homes. They’re very similar to ranch-style properties, though mid-century modern homes tend to have flat roofs instead of gabled roofs.
Where to see it: Dallas has a large collection of mid-century modern homes, thanks to its rapid growth and the height of this style’s popularity. Take a cruise along Forest Ridge Drive in White Rock Valley for a stellar example: an original Ju-Nel home (referring to the name of the Dallas architecture firm that specialized in this style) that has been rebuilt into a modern masterpiece. Highland Meadows, a northeast Dallas neighborhood between Walnut Hill Lane and East Northwest Highway, has a high concentration of mid-century modern homes, but you can also find them in Oak Cliff and North Dallas.
