On May 12-14, the Swiss Avenue Historic District Association will host its annual Home Tour celebrating the history of Old East Dallas.
Seven homes are featured on this year’s tour. They range in style and scope from a completely restored charming Queen Anne cottage to the expanse and grandeur of the home built for R.W. Higginbotham, which embodies many of the features found in the larger Prairie School houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
The Queen Anne cottage was built at the turn of the century as a bachelor’s quarters and was moved in 1988 from its original location on Cole Avenue to its current site on Swiss Avenue.
The Higginbotham home was built in 1913 by the firm of Lang and Witchell. Its designer is presumed to be Charles Erwin Barglebaugh, who had previously come from Chicago, where he had worked with Frank Lloyd Wright.
The other homes featured on the tour are equally impressive. They include a two-story, four-square Prairie built for Joseph Schepps, owner of Schepps’ Bakery in 1920; a two-story Mediterranean villa built in 1924 by architect Charles Bulgar; a two-story Jacobethan built in 1924 by contractor M. E. Faber; another two-story Jacobethan at Live Oak and Beacon built in 1921; and a two-story, four-square Prairie with Georgian details built in 1917.
The Swiss Avenue Historic District’s Home Tour isn’t just about the seven homes the owners have been gracious enough to open to the public. The Mother’s Day Home Tour is a tradition in East Dallas.
Since 1973, when it was designated an historic district, the restoration of homes in the Swiss Avenue area has significantly helped spur the restoration throughout Old East Dallas.
Today, Swiss Avenue is one of the City’s most elegant neighborhoods. The mile-long boulevard is lined with early 20th century architectural masterpieces. The streets of the Historic District – Swiss Avenue, La Vista, Bryan Parkway and Live Oak – are well known to the many joggers, bikers, strollers, dog-walkers and sightseers who take advantage of the park-like atmosphere.
This year on Mother’s Day weekend, Swiss Avenue will also feature a top-notch, open-air Antiques Fair along the median. Antiques and decorative wares will be presented by many dealers, allowing those who appreciate history to take home a piece of the past.
A variety of foods and beverages will be available under the shade trees of Triangle Park.
The Home Tour and Antiques Fair will be a chance for people from throughout Dallas to recognize and celebrate the history of our City, take a peek back into a more elegant time period and witness the artistry and craftsmanship that can be hard to find today.
