In the early part of the 20th century, the area beginning at Fitzhugh and Swiss featured stately homes built by European and American craftsmen.
The Swiss Avenue Historic District was the first to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The beautiful neighborhood was developed by Robert S. Munger.
In 1857, Henri Boll named Swiss Avenue after his native country. It was a dusty, rural lane until the 1870s, when the lower part was first developed.
In 1905, Munger began the development of the upper part and set strict regulations. It was that year that the home located at 5303 Swiss was built. The Neo-Classic-style house was built by Dr. R.W. Baird, a prominent internist. The second owner of the house was J.B. Cranfill, an author and editor who ran for U.S. vice president in 1892. The third owner was J.C. Muse, a well-known Dallas attorney.
The home has remained in the Kenneth Novorr family for 25 years, having been restored from its once-dilapidated state.
