It’s hard to miss the elaborate letter “E” that adorns the front of Clay and Amber Hartmann’s home at the corner of Gaston and Pearson.
The house is a Dines and Kraft built in 1923, and when the Hartmanns moved in they wondered about the letter and its backstory. Not long after, they found a note on the front door from Michael Estep, the grandson of the original owner. He encouraged the Hartmanns to call him if they wanted to learn more about the history of the house. They jumped at the chance.
Michael told them that his grandfather, R. J. Estep, was a bridge builder for the City of Dallas in the 1920s. He built bridges all over the Dallas area, particularly downtown and Turtle Creek.
Unfortunately R.J. didn’t get the chance to live in the house for long. When the Great Depression hit, the City of Dallas filed for bankruptcy and R. J. lost the house due to non-payment. He died not long after. However, he left his mark with the “E” crest on the front of the house.
The Hartmanns later found the original documents in a drawer, which confirmed what Michael had told them. It also included a newspaper clipping with a picture of the original home.
Although the last owner did some major updates on the interior of the house, and the Hartmanns added an attic addition, they still feel like R. J. is a part of the home.
“We feel like we’re really just caretakers in [Estep’s] house,” Clay points out.
“We want to have a Great Gatsby party when the house turns 100 years old,” Amber adds.
