Illustration by Brian Smith
Robert Munger had luxury in his eyes when he looked at Swiss Avenue. His deed restrictions ensured only the finest homes would make their way to these blocks, all of which were required to be two-stories with a 60-foot setback, made from stone or masonry and cost at least $10,000. It worked. By 1908 lots on Swiss Avenue sold for around $3,500, where parcels of a similar size on Junius fetched only $2,400. Numerous noted residents have lived in the neighborhood, including Carrie Marcus Neiman, founder of Neiman-Marcus; Mayor J. Woodall Rogers; model Mary Ellen Bentsen; and Dr. R.W. Baird, founder of Blue Cross & Blue Shield. The historic incidents that have happened on Swiss are too many to name, like when Harry Houdini performed in A.J. Langford’s basement at 5417 Swiss, or when “Dallas” the TV show shot in the dining room at 5020 Swiss. In 1974, the area was added to the National Register of Historic Places. (Sources: The Dallas Morning News, D Magazine)
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A birds-eye view of Swiss Avenue in 1950. (From the collection of the Dallas History and Archives of the Dallas Public Library)
