Deep in the heart of Highland Park near Beverly and Lakeside drives, I’ve found an incredible home, being offered for a steal, on almost half an acre of prime real estate. This is the best part of Highland Park, and this home doesn’t disappoint.
The Greek Revival masterpiece at 4005 Gillon Ave. has Georgian Colonial influences in its stately architecture. Built in 1973, the house is a three-quarters replica of an 1853 mansion the owner grew up loving in Canton, Miss. The façade conveys a grandeur that continues inside.
This home has three bedrooms, thee full bathrooms, one half bath, four living areas, and 7,292 square feet on two stories.
“The space is there for anyone who might want to update it, but the home is perfect for those who appreciate the finer features of a bygone era,” said David Sparling with Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, who is listing the house. “This property is two doors down from Lakeside Drive and in the best part of Old Highland Park.”
4005 Gillon was built as an homage to that American era which is crystallized in our identity by Southern Belles attending elaborate balls. It was in the spirit of that gilded age that this home was conceived and built.
This is a home that was made to impress, both inside and out, where you could host just a few friends for an intimate dinner or half of the town for a black-tie affair, without missing a step. It imposes unto its guests an air of sophistication and grace.
This masterpiece of a home sits on nearly a half of an acre with manicured landscaping. The four large columns framing the facade of the imposing structure open into a grand entry and one of the largest great rooms in the city. Off the wings are eloquently adorned living and dining rooms.
“It has a classic layout for an elegant home, perfect for entertaining with a large formal dining room—it can easily fit a table to seat 14,” said Sparling. “The entryway is appropriately impressive for a timeless classic.”
The great room is a great space, indeed—I can imagine the fabulous parties you could throw in this room. Soaring ceilings, huge windows, and a balcony from the upper library and hallways leading down the elegant spiral staircase to this bright and light (and huge!) room that is an entertainer’s dream.
“You have to see the great room to appreciate its scale,” Sparling said. “There are few other homes in Highland Park, or Dallas, that can offer something even approaching the grandeur of this space.”
The kitchen’s large size, 40-by-14, offers a butler’s pantry, coffee bar, space for a breakfast table, and second pantry.
Treasures fill this Old Highland Park mansion, like stained glass windows from an 18th-century French chateau and grand windows in the great room that are a replica of those in Buckingham Palace.
“This is a remarkable home, a masterpiece, in every sense of the term,” Sparling said. “I think it’s the gem of the neighborhood and it will offer so much to the right buyer.”
The generous 1,440-square-foot master suite, features an attached lounge with dual master bathrooms and large walk-in closets, a garden tub, separate shower, separate vanities, and a sitting area, two fireplaces, access to a spacious balcony, as well as a wet bar in the attached lounge. The other two bedrooms measure 20-by-15 and feature large, walk-in closets and baths.
Sparling has enlisted local architect Wilson Fuqua to help inspire buyers with plans to modernize the home.
“We’ve drafted some building plans with Fuqua because the interior is a little dated and specific to the previous owners,” Sparling said. “We want buyers to be able to envision everything this house can be—it has the space and bones to be the most remarkable home in Highland Park.”
Other details you’ll love: a three-car garage; an elevator and wide doors, making this home accessible for everyone; and four fireplaces throughout the home.
This remarkable Highland Park home is listed by Sparling for $4.5 million, a reduction from its original list price of $5.25 million. For more information on this property, contact David Sparling at 214-797-6396 or [email protected].
