Dreyfuss Club site at White Rock Lake. Photo by Renee Umsted.
The name Dreyfuss probably rings a bell for East Dallas folks because Dreyfuss Point is a notable spot at White Rock Lake. Plus, it’s been in the news recently, with all the talk of rebuilding Dreyfuss Club.
Dreyfuss Club was built in 1936 for employees of the Dreyfuss & Son clothing store, which was owned by Sol Dreyfuss.
The first store, opened in 1910, was located in a one-story building on Main Street. Later, it moved to a six-story building at the corner of Main and Ervay, according to the Texas State Historical Association.
Sol Dreyfuss was born Aug. 12, 1885, to Gerard and Julia Hurst Dreyfuss. Gerard Dreyfuss, also a business owner, was originally from France. He merged his company with Albert K. Hurst to become Hurst & Dreyfuss, which soon after merged with E. M. Kahn and Co.
Starting in 1905, Dreyfuss worked for a few years at his father’s company. Then he joined Sanger Brothers, which was a dry-goods wholesale and retail company established by Alex Sanger and his brothers. Sanger’s Hebrew Benevolent Association eventually became Dallas’ Temple Emanu-El.
Dreyfuss left Sanger Brothers to start Dreyfuss & Son.
In addition to his business pursuits, Dreyfuss was active in the community. He owned the Dallas Baseball Club from 1928-1938, when the minor league team was called the Steers. He was a director of Hope Cottage and was involved with the Community Chest and Red Cross. He was also a member of the Salesmanship Club, the Citizens Charter Association, Lakewood Country Club, the Columbian Club and the Jewish service organization B’nai B’rith.
Dreyfuss Club was sold to the City of Dallas in October 1942, according to From Water Supply to “Urban Oasis”: A History of White Rock Lake Park Dallas, Texas by Steven R. Butler. The building was used as a rentable facility until it burned down in October 2006.
Dreyfuss was Jewish, but his wife was Episcopalian. He died May 27, 1951 and is buried at Temple Emanu-El Cemetery.Â
