This 3-lot architectural showpiece home with quarters is a historic gem looking for new owners
People who live on Gaston Avenue are proud of it. Residents of this landmark thoroughfare are rabidly loyal to this often-overlooked hallmark of historic real estate, and they’re happy to tell you they live on Gaston Avenue for a number of reasons.
Gaston homeowners know about the avenue’s impossible-to-find-elsewhere oversized lots; quick and easy access to Downtown Dallas, suburbs and medical resources; walkability to Lakewood merchants and groceries; and its star attraction — front-row seating to holiday fireworks shows.
If you’re looking for a new home, you’ll regret not taking a look at Rose Hall, 5811 Gaston — a new-to-the-market, 1942 traditional gem on three city lots totaling 1.49 acres a couple of blocks from Lakewood Country Club.
The Rose Hall property consists of a main house with opulent pool, a three-car garage, a 1,000-square-foot guest house with a kitchen and loft space, along with a fish pond, gardening shed, workshop, play house and a separate spacious lot offering room to spread out — not an easy find in today’s Dallas.
Owner Susan Singer has called the property home for 19 years. She laughs as she recalls the day it first blipped on her radar.
“My husband (Bob Hunt) called and said: ‘You have to get over here right now; I’ve found this incredible place that you just have to see.’
“I asked where, and he gave the address. I said, ‘I’m not living on Gaston’ and he said to come over here anyway. So I did.”
What Singer found initially didn’t sell her on the place: She saw popcorn ceilings and mauve carpet. But after digging around, the Singers realized the carpet was a clever disguise for rich oak floors. They also saw that architectural mastery and hidden, original appointments were everywhere in the home.
The couple pounced on the property, and it became a labor of love restoring its early grandeur to become the showplace it is today.
Property perks include a grand Bois d’Arc tree, also known as a horse apple tree, that Singer calls a Sleepy Hollow tree since it looks very storybook, especially when custom landscape lighting illuminates the grounds at night.
There are 16 mature pecan trees, 18 irrigation zones and an original well that can provide water for the entire yard.
“Wells can no longer be installed in the city, but this one is grandfathered in,” she says.
The main house, which includes 3,653 square feet, has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths and a second stairwell in the back. The third floor has a half bath and two attics; originally designed as a game room for previous owners’ grandchildren, it’s now Singer’s “woman cave” with many windows providing natural light.
The 262-square-foot chauffeur’s quarters has a bathroom and backs up to a separate pool bath, which could easily be turned into an expanded unit for in-laws, a nanny or caregiver — perfect for homeowners needing multi-generational family space. Behind the quarters are the remains of a former greenhouse, original to the property.
One day years ago, the couple received a surprise visitor. A woman showed up in the driveway and said, “Hello, my name is Alice Wilson, and I grew up here.”
Turns out, Alice’s father was a neighborhood architect and had built the home. So Alice offered up her own insider’s home tour, describing the significance of unique features all around.
For instance, Alice’s mother hired a French architect to design the expansive brick patio out back for Alice’s wedding reception. The patio features a large wood-burning fireplace with an original bread oven, a grill station and plumbed sink area. An arrow inlaid in the brick flooring points due north.
The home is filled with hidden compartments, a concealed bookcase and “hidey-hole secret places” Alice’s mom had installed. Singer says they had already found some of the secret places; others remained hidden until Alice pointed them out.
There’s also a concrete walking path around the grounds.
“She showed me the names ‘Alice and Wynan’ (Alice’s brother) carved in the concrete,” says Singer, who adds that growing up, Wynan was “big into Scouting.” So the parents installed flagpoles on the property, of which one still remains on a massive star-shaped base.
Alice’s parents hosted Scout campouts in the yard, with sunrise and sunset flag ceremonies, and planted various native plants around the property so that Scouts could study them.
“They even planted poison oak and poison ivy,” Singer laughs. “It took us three years to kill all the poison oak and poison ivy.”
The home is guarded by original brick gateposts and wrought iron fencing, and parking is enviable: A massive circle driveway can accommodate lots of vehicles. And since the lot, located at the corner of Gaston and Skillman Street, backs up to Swiss Avenue, overflow guests have accessible parking options on that street too, never needing to enter or exit from Gaston.
Looking for actual “property” in the middle of Dallas? Call Nadine Meyer with Meyer Group Real Estate to tour Rose Hall at 5811 Gaston Avenue. The property is listed for $2,599,000. Nadine@meyergrouprealestate.com. 214-235-6661.
