This Midcentury Modern Ranch is truly an undiscovered gem of a time capsule. To find an original 1957 home, this pristine, in such great condition, is almost unheard of today, and its provenance is out of this world!
The 1950s must have been a wonderful time to live in Dallas for anyone who loves Midcentury Modern architecture. The development of the JanMar neighborhood was underway with some of the most incredible designs in Dallas, such as the famed Round House.
Midway Hills was platted in the mid-1950s, and the coveted Disney Streets were developed. Highland Meadows, Eastwood, Kiestwood, Lochwood, and White Rock North were booming with creative construction. There was an explosion of design because we had great architects such as Howard Meyer, Edward Durrell Stone, Arch B. Swank, Thomas Scott Dean, Gordon Nichols, and E.G. Hamilton working in Dallas.
Some areas have retained quite a number of Midcentury Modern homes. There are 14 or 15 remaining in this lovely Walnut Hill Park neighborhood, but I venture to say none can compare to this Midcentury Modern Ranch. It was designed by Harley Lee Tracy, who was active in Dallas in the 1950s. He also worked with Rockwell International on the NASA space program and helped to design the space shuttle! How many folks can say they have a home by a space shuttle designer?
An Original Midcentury Modern Ranch
I was fortunate enough to speak to the owner, Ken Altes, who grew up here. Altes was seven years old when his family moved to 3960 Cobblestone Drive.
“My mom brought my dad by, and he was not impressed,” Ken said. “There was no landscaping, and he refused to go inside. But of course, she convinced him, and the minute he walked in, he said yes, of course, because it’s so dramatic when you enter.”
The Altes family moved into the home in 1960, three years after it was finished, and Mr. Altes got to work on that landscaping with the help of a neighbor who happened to be in the business.
“The black and white photo was me when the rocks and gravel and 28 skinny trees had just been installed,” Ken said. Those trees are now towering Live Oaks that shade the .37 acres and 1,727-square-foot home. With more than 100 feet of floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows, Mr. Altes knew the landscaping design would be paramount.
As dramatic as the windows are, the pine 2-by-4 ceiling is a pure Midcentury Modern Ranch marvel. It covers the entire house and the 450-square-foot garage — also a unique element as most homes of this era featured carports.
There have been very few modifications to the home since 1960, which is what makes this such a valuable property for true Midcentury Modern Ranch enthusiasts. When the cork floors began to wear away, about 1000 square feet of Tennessee red oak hardwoods were installed throughout the house in the 1980s, adding to the warmth from the paneling and the ceilings.
“One of the triumphs of this house is that it is so open yet so private,” Ken said. “That is good design.”
For instance, the principal bedroom has one wall that is all glass, but it faces a private garden with a privacy fence. The entire home is designed with this level of sophistication.
One of the more unusual features in this Midcentury Modern Ranch is the movable wall wardrobes.
“Look at the drawers in the two small bedrooms, ”Ken said. Each small bedroom has one of its own. These are two wardrobes that, when put together, make a wall. They slide! Each of the two units have a closet, drawers, and a cabinet below the drawers. We put Masonite above them, making them into a wall. Then, two bedrooms!”
“We have enjoyed this house and been proud of it,” Ken said.
It is Ken’s sincere hope that someone who appreciates Midcentury Modern Ranch design will see this as the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity it is and raise their own family here.
Brent King of the Brent King Group has 3960 Cobblestone Dr. offered at $849,000.
