This Stevens Park Tudor has only been in the hands of five owners since 1939. Why is that worth celebrating?
First, it’s because it has survived. That is generally due to location and functionality. These beautiful, stately, historic homes have a much better chance of survival outside of the Park Cities, especially in Oak Cliff. There seems to be a greater reverence for architecturally significant homes here.
Residences built in the 1930s functioned differently from the open-plan design that has become a norm for modern-day architects and builders. Now that we’ve experienced too much time at home with our loved ones, we finally understand what the architects of past decades instinctively knew.
Open-plan seemed like a great idea, but it is not when you have three kids in Zoom classes and both parents working from home. Everyone needs their own space. I think this is one reason our historic homes are moving so quickly. Well, that, and hopefully we are educating buyers about their value and significance.
Of course, the story of a historic home is often one of the main attractions.
No Loafing For This Breadwinner
This Stevens Park Tudor was designed by Jon D. Carsey. Carsey had brief partnerships with Robert Linskie and R. Lovell Edgeworth, who worked with him on this residence. Carsey designed more than 50 houses in the Park Cities between 1928 and 1947. He and Linskie designed both the Boat House and Bath House at White Rock Lake.
This Tudor home was designed for Jake Golman, a leading Dallas businessman and philanthropist who emigrated from Russia and worked in the bread industry from 1911 to 1973. Golman oversaw 10 plants when he decided to resign and co-found two bakeries with his brother. The Oak Cliff Baking Company and the Golman Baking Company were in business until the early 1970s.
Golman’s philanthropy extended from fundraising for hospitals and the symphony to children. In 1931 he supplied 2,000 school lunches to area schools each month.
Dallas is a small town.
It took one phone call to our own Elaine Raffel, who is friends with former owners, to learn more about this Stevens Park Tudor.
“It is such a warm home,” Raffel said. “I’ve been to many dinner parties and spent a lot of holidays there. I can’t tell you how many afternoons I enjoyed the garden room. It’s just a lovely inviting home.”
“The current owners have been fabulous stewards to the house,” listing agent David Griffin of David Griffin & Company Realtors said. “If they had not decided to move to Spain, they would have never left. Whoever becomes the next owner will have the pleasure of living in one of the signature homes in one of the city’s best neighborhoods.”
If you move fast. This 3,174-square-foot beauty with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a powder bath, and three fireplaces has had plenty of interest since it hit the market on Friday.
Griffin has 1817 W. Colorado Blvd. listed for $1.195 million.
