The intersection at Preston Road and Northwest Highway is a busy one, but one thing that hasn’t changed over the years is the “Little White House” office of Ebby Halliday Realtors at the northwest corner of the two well-traveled roads. Just behind the iconic white home that still houses an office of the late Ebby Halliday’s eponymous real estate brokerage was the personal home of Ebby and Maurice Acers.
We say “was” because the home was razed just this morning.
We reported in February that the property, which was owned by the Ebby Halliday Foundation, changed hands in a private sale to a neighboring homeowner. The proceeds of the sale will fund children’s charities that were near and dear to Ebby’s heart.
“As previously reported in local media, Ebby’s personal residence recently sold to a neighboring homeowner. A large portion of the proceeds from the sale went to local charities benefiting women and children in need. Those closest to Ebby believe that is just how she would have wanted it,” Steve Smith, vice president of marketing at Ebby Halliday Companies shared with Daltxrealestate.com. “Reworking the interior of a one-bedroom home would have cost more than the property’s value. The Little White House was not part of the sale and there are absolutely no plans to alter it in any way.”
Days later, other outlets shared that the buyer was Gabriel Barbier-Mueller, the founder and CEO of Harwood International who owns a lot neighboring the now-demolished Greek Revival at 8515 Preston Road. Mark Cuban is also a neighbor to Barbier-Mueller and the razed former home of the “First Lady of Texas Real Estate.”
The home was built in 1967 and hosted many parties and notable figures over the years.
“Maurice and Ebby really made this home into the perfect place to entertain,” said Daltxrealestate.com founder and publisher Candy Evans in a previous report. “It has a very 1960s contemporary feel. I felt perfectly at home there because it reminded me so much of the homes I grew up in. The open staircase and terrazzo floors are especially noteworthy.”
As we shared in an earlier story, some parts of the property were salvaged before the sale was final.
A lot of care and attention went into removing personal items and memorabilia from the home. At some point, the foundation will hold a silent auction or sale of those items for members of the Ebby Halliday Companies and possibly the public, said Ebby Halliday Foundation Board Member Ashley Cook. All proceeds will benefit local organizations serving women and children.
