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Architecturally Significant Homes
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Significant homes of Dallas

At Home - Design for Living, November 13, 1997

Spacious Dallas homes meld elegance and opulence

In recognition of the American Institute of Architects’ Dallas Chapter’s 50th anniversary, the Dallas 50 Significant Homes committee announced the nominations that have been made over the last five months of searching and reviewing.

The 10 organizations representing art, architecture, history and preservation, selected a nominating committee of about 50 people to identify the homes that have had the greatest impact on Dallas.

The search for significant houses was headed up by Douglas Newby on behalf of the architects group, which is headed by president Bryce Weigand.

Houses that are pristine, renovated, adapted, historic, and new were nominated. Much interesting and important information has come to the foreground because of this project, such as:

  • Dallas’ most important estate from the first half of the century, the Crespi Estate in North Dallas, not only will be saved, but the 21 acres will remain intact. A planned transfer of this property has been put in place that includes Dallas residents with the resources, taste and expertise to preserve and renovate this important home.
  • More than 10 residences designed by nationally prominent architects.
  • Homes designed by architects who trained under and worked with Frank Lloyd Wright and Phillip Johnson.
  • A multi-family approach prevalent only in Dallas: the stacked duplex. This design allows higher density to coexist with single family homes without visual interruption.
  • Hidden Houses – The modernist movement taking hold in the 1940s and ‘50s sublimated the houses to the landscaping, eliminating from conspicuous view some of Dallas’ great houses.
  • Hidden Estates – Everyone has seen the conspicuous estates, but the nominations have turned up estates on the south and north end of Dallas on 20 to 30 acres of wooded land.
  • An art deco-inspired home made entirely of concrete.
  • Owners well into their 90s who live in homes that were avant-garde then and relevant now.
  • A caretaker who has managed an estate for 50 years
  • Homes that were designed by the architects who designed the Hall of State, Highland Park City Hall and many of the prominent churches in Dallas.
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