I’m deputizing our readers to become historic preservation detectives this week. Grab your magnifying glasses and Sherlock Holmes hats because this classic University Park English Tudor is a challenge.
When I saw this picture-perfect 1946 classic University Park English Tudor at 6205 Saint Andrews Drive, I swooned a little because you probably know by now how I feel about Tudors. This one in particular looks as if it were plucked out of the English countryside. It has everything, including a cathedral ceiling, leaded windows, rich paneling, and unique millwork.
Of course, Compass listing agent Michelle Wood always has her sleuthing hat on and let me know, just as I suspected, that the property was replatted. Preston Road runs behind the house, and back then, most of these homes had addresses on Preston, not Saint Andrews. Such is the case with a Colonial I featured last February. Originally, this home had an address of 6220 Preston Road, so a lot of history began to unfold when she gave me that tidbit.
It’s not surprising that residents switched their addresses to Saint Andrews when you consider how Preston Road started getting congested long ago. The homes on this section of Saint Andrews all have enormous lawns that resemble enchanted forests, and this classic University Park English Tudor is on a .60-acre creek-front lot. Simply crossing the stone bridge to get to the entrance is a fairytale experience.
Saint Andrews is part of the original Windsor Place subdivision, B.C. Lucas’s first development in the 1920s. In one of our favorite resource books at Daltxrealestate.com, Great American Suburbs, The Homes of The Park Cities, Dallas, Lucas is quoted in a 1925 interview.
We have placed our faith on Preston Road since our first day in Dallas. It’s easy to see that this section, already the foremost fine home section in the city, is destined to a steadily increasing growth that will advance it many miles along Preston Road.
I’d say he called it.
Now we need to figure out who the architect and builder were. Of course, I turned to Preservation Dallas and quizzed the Events and Development Coordinator Donovan Westover.
“It also looks like George Marble’s (an affiliate of architect Charles Dilbeck) or Jon Carsey’s work, which is more in line with the 1946 build date. It also looks like it could be a Dines & Kraft home.”
A little digging in the archives of The Dallas Morning News reveals Harry and Hortense Braden lived there first. Unfortunately, Harry was killed in Guam during his military service, and Hortense married Carl J. Thomsen in 1950. Then William Henry Roberts and his family moved in and stayed through the late 1960s because this is not a home you leave easily.
The present owner has made beautiful and appropriate updates without compromising the original Tudor style. There is even an elevator, which is a rarity in any historic home.
So, dear readers, if you have any insights, know former family members that once lived here, or just love going down the rabbit hole of research like I do, send us your information. Meanwhile, this is a rare opportunity to purchase an original home filled with character in an enchanted setting.
What more can you ask for?
Wood has this classic, 6,263-square foot, five-bedroom, seven-bathroom University Park English Tudor at 6205 Saint Andrews Drive listed for $6.975 million.
