I’ve written about most of the iconic homes that have bitten the dust in the Park Cities. It is a knife to the heart for historians and preservationists to see one bulldozed.
And it’s going to keep happening.
Demolition of historic homes has been going on for decades, all over this city. Dallas has done a good job of putting some safeguards in place against the reckless disregard for history, though results are mixed. However, we don’t see that effort in the Park Cities. In fact, property rights are sacrosanct in this landlocked area.
Does it matter?
It depends on who you ask, so I asked some smart people who know a lot more than I do.
Award-winning preservation architect Norman Alston is widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable people in America on historic architecture. He has repeatedly shown us how preservation is environmentally responsible, culturally stimulating, and economically advantageous. I asked him how the Park Cities got to this point.
Is there a way out?
“How we got here is that the Park Cities has the most expensive real estate per square foot in this part of the country,” Alston said. “People want bigger houses, and there is room to grow there. Consider the high cost of housing — you want more space, and you’re making money by creating more space. There is less desire to preserve, and the neighborhood is not built on its architecture. You add in that it’s a huge investment for anyone and the property rights factor, and you have a perfect storm. Unfortunately, the predominant approach to property owners in the Park Cities is that preservation has no value. It’s an investment decision. The investment is so substantial it overrides everything else. The only way out is with a resurgence of community interest.”
Are attitudes changing in the Park Cities?
According to Burton Rhodes, President-Elect of Preservation Park Cities, just maybe. Rhodes is also a Realtor with Compass, so he has some keen insight into what’s happening as he has a fiduciary responsibility to his clients.
“You cannot direct someone in a way that is not in their best interests, “Rhodes said. “It’s a challenging and complicated issue because there are correct reasons on both sides of the preservation issue. You cannot change the path of progress, but when you see something happening that is changing the entire feeling of a block, you have to consider what motivated you to move here in the first place. Demolition is happening so fast that people have noticed and are finally concerned. There is no balance right now. People have made so much money over the past two years that the mindset has shifted, and they don’t care. The very fabric of the neighborhood is being destroyed.
What can be done?
“We prefer a carrot approach,” Rhodes said. “We have identified 100 homes that are important to preserve, and we’re going to promote that list and celebrate the owners. We want to create a culture where preservation matters. Yes, you can tear a home down, but it’s not always the right decision. We want to work with the city on a demolition delay to press pause when a significant home is at stake and then provide the education about why a home is important.”
But if a new owner is not swayed, you can only hope to have a good architect on board. Such is the case with a home that has made a lot of waves over the past few months, 3800 Beverly. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such a passionate display of concern in Highland Park, but this house struck a community chord. We’ve written about it extensively, and I always thought it was beautiful. However, I did not buy it, nor did a preservationist. And that’s OK.
“It takes a lot of money to maintain an old home.”
I rang up Lloyd Lumpkins, the architect building the new home on this site. He’s a member of the Institute of Classical Art and Architecture, a gentleman of integrity and massive talent who has to walk the tightrope of client desires and his love of history daily.
As a classically trained architect, he has helped save many of our best-loved homes from the wrecking ball, preserved the facades of others while creating new interiors for them, and built new luxury homes like the one that will replace the original home at 3800 Beverly originally designed by Hal Thomson.
“You can always accomplish keeping the facade for a client that appreciated the architecture from the get-go,” Lumpkins said. “Not everyone wants to do that. It takes a lot of money to maintain an old home. It’s like buying a 1960 Ferrari and driving it daily. It’s going to cost you a lot.”
According to Lumpkins, the home at 3800 Beverly was filled with rotted wood. It had undergone a bad remodel, a bad update, the floorplan did not meet modern needs, and there were outdated electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. Even if the owners had wanted to take it back to the original state, it would have cost millions to restore and still not met their needs and desires.
“We’ve completely rebuilt homes, and you’d never know,” Lumpkins said. “But at the end of the day, we are working for the client. We can advise and educate, but it’s their choice.”
Today, the biggest problem in our neighborhoods is ill-thought designs of homes that have no relationship to their surroundings. It’s not historical architectural styles. It’s architecture without a soul. You can do modern with a soul. It requires talented people and not a builders draftsman.”
Where does that leave the Park Cities?
“The Park Cities lose history daily for new construction,” Preservation Dallas Executive Director David Preziosi said. “The only way to create change is with community involvement. People have to go to their elected officials and say they want protection for historic homes. The only way to do that is to enact a preservation ordinance that will allow you to individually landmark homes or create preservation or conservation districts.”
Are we at a tipping point in the Park Cities?
Absolutely.
So, while it’s all well and good to decry demolition and whip up anger on social media through your Instagram account, and it does highlight what is going on, it’s time to get off the computer and get down to your respective city halls in University Park and Highland Park and create the change you want to see.
