The house on Lausanne Street in the tour was owned by former Mayor Laura Miller and her husband, Rep. Steve Wolens
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
Taffet@DallasVoice.com
With nine houses and two commercial properties on its roster this year, the Heritage Oak Cliff home tour, now in its 51st year, remains the oldest and largest home tour in Dallas.
The houses on the tour represent a variety of styles from hundred year old early 20th century homes to mid-century modern. And they represent a variety of the 30 neighborhoods that make up Heritage Oak Cliff.
Perched high on the cliff is a condo along Stephens Park Golf Course with one of the best views of downtown that can be found in the city. The land was part of a 120-acre farm owned by Dr. John H. Stevens, one of Oak Cliff’s earliest residents. The farm included what is today Kessler Park and Stevens Park Estates.
Middlebrook Place Townhomes was built in 1980 on one of the last undeveloped parcels from the original Stevens farm. A gay couple bought the property two years ago and did extensive renovations before moving in.
The oldest house on the tour is a 100-year-old Tudor Revival set in the Hampton Hills neighborhood, one of Dallas’ most intact collections of this style house. Home Tour Co-Chair Randy Osteen said these homes feature steep cross-gabled roofs, prominent chimneys, patterned brickwork and stone accents. The distinctive front stained-glass windows, original butler’s pantry cabinetry and arched passageway give a glimpse into pre-Depression era residential design.
The largest single family home on the tour is a 2,669-square-foot house that at one time was owned by former Mayor Laura Miller and her husband, former state Rep. Steve Wolens. This 1928 English Tudor in Kessler Park features leaded and stained glass windows throughout, interior trim milled from magnolia and a fireplace featuring handcrafted tiles.
For a taste of mid-century modern, the gay-owned house on Hoel Street in Wynnewood North was built in 1952 and had a major renovation in 2019. Osteen notes the house was modernized without sacrificing its warmth and simplicity.
In the renovation, the kitchen was expanded and a home office and new master bedroom were added. New windows enhance the relationship between the home and its landscaping, bringing light into the interior and new views of the pool and garden outback. In the front, red oak trees predate the house and were preserved when the renovations were done.
Oak Cliff has been particularly successful in repurposing old industrial buildings, turning them into lively retail and entertainment venues — like Bishop Arts. That’s why two commercial developments are included in this year’s tour. According to Co-Chair Trudy Newton, these are two examples of what makes Oak Cliff so livable.
A newly repurposed retail center is East Dock on Clarendon Drive near the Dallas Zoo. It’s been an ice house, a book manufacturer and an airplane parts factory. Just renovated and reopened this summer, the list of tenants includes a coffee roaster, a bakery and a sushi restaurant, a vintage and thrift store, a cigar lounge, arcade entertainment and more. And it is even the headquarters for Halperin Park, Oak Cliff’s new deck park.
The second commercial property on the tour is Dirt Flowers on Colorado Boulevard. No repurposing here: The Mission Revival building built in the 1930s has been dedicated to floral design for its entire 90 year history. Family-owned Oak Cliff Floral Company operated out of the building for 70 years
And now Dirt Flowers has relocated from Bishop Arts to the historic space.
And where does the money raised from ticket sales go? Back to the neighborhoods for a variety of projects, according to Newton, projects like upgrading sidewalks, landscaping common areas, signage, upgraded lighting, painting murals on commercial buildings and reforestation. And they even earmarked funds for refreshments for area teachers.
The Old Oak Cliff Fall Home Tour takes place on Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25, from noon-5 p.m. Tickets are $45 in advance or $50 at the event. Buy tickets at HeritageOakCliff.org or at the event at The Kessler School, 1822 W. 10th St.