16 homes on Swiss Avenue are turning 100-years-old this year. . (Photo by Rasy Ran)
One hundred years ago housing on Swiss Avenue boomed.
When Robert S. Munger, a cotton-gin manufacturer and real-estate developer from an influential Dallas family, first founded the avenue at the turn of the century, there was nothing but farmland. But Munger had a vision, and Swiss soon became the first paved street in Dallas.
Houses were slowly added to the avenue each year, until 1916 when an impressive 16 houses were built. Decades later, in 1973, Swiss Avenue was designated as Dallas’ first historic district, thus perserving the neighborhood. Today, those 16 houses are celebrating 100 years — and they’re as grand as ever.
Dallas loves Swiss Avenue. People from all over the metroplex flock to it every Mother’s Day to peek inside its elegant homes and learn about their history.
Suzanne Palmlund, the founder of the Swiss Avenue Women’s Guild, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, has spent countless hours researching the history of Swiss and compiling her findings onto the website, historicswissavenue.com.
On the sidebar, under the Historic Swiss Avenue heading, the “homes” tab takes users to an interactive map of the street, including a detailed description of each house. The home’s profile includes everything from architectural details to historical factoids.
Palmlund, whose house is among the 16 turning 100 this year, even created an audio tour for 40 of the street’s homes with the richest history, so neighbors can listen while they drive or walk through the block.
Although history buffs be warned: “You start clicking around the website and it can be very addicting,” Palmlund says.
