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Preservation Park Cities

@preservationparkcities

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Helping to celebrate and promote the preservation of Park Cities architecture, history, aesthetics, and cultural traditions.

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It’s almost October which means our 2026 Distinguished Speaker Luncheon on 10/26 is right around the corner! Swipe to learn more about this year’s raffle package, and purchase tickets for the luncheon & raffle through the link in our bio! 💙 by @preservationparkcities

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21 days ago

Our favorite sight to see around the Park Cities – two historic homes, located on Westway and Southern, undergoing restoration 😍 We can’t wait to see these two gems when they are complete 🏡💙 by @preservationparkcities

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a month ago

@dhome Fall 2026 issue might be our favorite yet 💙🏡 “The Preservation Issue” highlights iconic homes across Dallas, many of which are located in the Park Cities.

Swipe to see the Park Cities homes on their “15 Must-Save Historic Homes” list (which have thankfully been saved by wonderful buyers in recent years!)

& a huge congratulations to PPC board members @porterfuqua and @lisamhenderson on their incredible work and well deserved feature in this issue! by @preservationparkcities

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a month ago

Architect Henry Bowers “Hal” Thomson (1882-1974) designed 3925 Potomac Avenue in Highland Park. Completed in 1921, this house was Hal’s personal residence, which he shared with his wife Geils (née Adoue) Thomson (1886-1972) and daughter (also named Geils). A native of Austin, Hal moved to Dallas in 1907 after earning architecture degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He designed many of the most iconic and revered houses in Dallas before retiring in 1944. Geils also graduated from UT Austin and was active in organizations including the Dallas Woman’s Club, Dallas Shakespeare Club, and Junior League of Dallas.

The Colonial Revival house with a perfectly balanced, symmetrical facade was featured in the 1927 publication “The Book of Little Houses,” which included original floor plans as well as exterior and interior photos. The first floor included an entrance hall, living room, dining room, breakfast room, pantry, kitchen, larder (a cooler area for storing food), and two porches. The second floor was comprised of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, maid’s room, and sleeping porch. Even though Hal is primarily associated with larger palatial estates, this residence demonstrates his natural talent in designing smaller homes of significant architectural character.

The construction of this house also has an interesting backstory. Hal purchased the lot in 1920 for $3,150 and subsequently built the house using lumber provided by his neighbor, who was president of a local lumber company.

Facing potential uncertainty when it came on the market in 2024, the historic property was thankfully saved by a local preservationist who has preserved over 50 historically significant homes.

Swipe to see what this historic house looks like today!

📸 1, 4-7: The Book of Little Houses, 1927 (archive.org)

📸 2-3: @sidewalksofdallas taken in Highland Park, Texas by @preservationparkcities

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a month ago

A Third Quarter update from Preservation Park Cities 💙🏡 Don’t forget to get your tickets to our annual Distinguished Speakers Luncheon on October 26th through the link in our bio! by @preservationparkcities

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a month ago

Our 2026 Distinguished Speaker Luncheon, sponsored by @hp_village and @papercitydallas, is quickly approaching on October 26th!

We are thrilled to introduce this year’s speakers, Alisa Malechek Sell and Terry Casparis, both Trustees of the Friends of the Lyndon Baines Johnson National Historic Park. We can’t wait to hear about their work on “Our Heart’s Home” - an $18.7 million restoration of the 132-year-old “Texas White House” at this year’s luncheon.

Tickets are available now through the link in our bio! by @preservationparkcities

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2 months ago

While we are fortunate to report that most of the homes on our #PPCTop100 still stand across the Park Cities, there have been a few losses in recent years worth remembering. Today, we’re taking a look at 4908 Lakeside Drive.

This 1918 Neoclassical masterpiece by renowned Dallas architect Hal Thomson stood as one of the city’s most iconic homes for more than a century before its demolition in 2022. One of the most prominent early Dallas architects, Thomson designed homes throughout the Park Cities and along Swiss Avenue. While many of his works can still be admired today, far too many are gone.

Douglas Newby captured the essence of the home beautifully in his 2022 article following its demolition: “I come to the conclusion that it is in the details. The details are romantic, elegant and refined, but they are subtle—the last thing you notice.”

It is those subtle details that give our city its whimsy, character and history, making our neighborhoods distinctive. by @preservationparkcities

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2 months ago

Our 2026 Distinguished Speaker Luncheon is right around the corner and tickets are now available! Join us Monday, October 26th as we celebrate America 250 with a special salute to Texas, as we honor the legacy and history of President and Mrs. Lyndon Baines Johnson’s home, the Texas White House on the LBJ Ranch, lovingly referred to by the Johnson family as “Our Heart’s Home”.

This year’s distringuesed speakers, Terry Casparisand and Alisa Malechek Sell, are Trustees of the Friends of the Lyndon Baines Johnson National Historical Park and currently serve as Co-chairs of “Our Heart’s Home” Campaign – an $18.7 million restoration of the 132-year-old Texas White House compound on the LBJ Ranch. They will be showcasing the restoration and renovation of the LBJ National Historical Park, which will reopen to the public in the summer of 2027 as the only National Park in which a former President lived.

Tickets available here: https://preservationparkcities.ticketspice.com/distinguished-speaker-luncheon-2026 by @preservationparkcities

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2 months ago

Situated on the corner of Shenandoah and Douglas stand “The Four Sisters”, one of the most treasured collections of Charles Dilbeck designed homes in the Park Cities.

Today’s #PPCTop100 home and one of these sisters, 4144 Shenandoah, is a charming example of Dilbeck’s signature French Norman Style.

Completed in 1935, the home’s enchanting fieldstone façade and storybook turret embody the storied architect’s signature style, cementing its place as one of the Park Cities’ most important and recognizable residences.

📸 by @reaganjobephoto for @d_magazine by @preservationparkcities

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3 months ago

Where in the Park Cities...? Can you guess where Governor William P. Clements was born? taken in Highland Park, Texas by @preservationparkcities

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3 months ago

Another brilliant home from our #PPCTop100 Houses of the Park Cities collection, 4311 Arcady.

Completed in 1937 by architect George N. Marble and once the home of developer Leo F. Corrigan Jr., this home stands as a testament to the French Norman style. Its enchanting octagonal entry tower adds whimsy to the traditional facade and creates a storybook view from the street.

Restored and designed by Dallas’ own @courtneypetitdesign, this home enchants from the original 1930s front door to the interior solarium.

Originally featured in @dhome in 2021, photography by @nathanschroderphoto 🏡💙 by @preservationparkcities

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3 months ago

We're excited that the restoration and renovation of this incredible Hal Thomson colonial in the French streets is nearing completion. A young family with children hired @wilsonfuquaarchitects and @cathykincaidinteriors to help them create their forever home. This is a perfect example of the growing trend of young families rejecting the soulless new construction offered by certain local developers and instead choosing preservation. by @preservationparkcities

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3 months ago