Swiss Avenue boulevard was created as the grandest street in Munger Place, the first deed restricted neighborhood in Dallas, where every home was required to be designed by an architect. In the early 1900s, Munger Place was considered the finest residence park in the Southland.
Prominent Architects Designed Architecturally Significant Homes on Swiss Avenue That Became the Foundation of Architectural Excellence in Dallas
The wealthiest and most prominent families built homes on Swiss Avenue, retaining the best architects celebrated for their residential and commercial work. These architects included Hal Thomson, C.D. Hill, Otto Lang, Frank Witchell and other renowned architects who went on to build landmark buildings and residences in Highland Park.
Swiss Avenue Has Also Been Significant to My Real Estate Career
My real estate firm specialized exclusively in Munger Place for the first dozen years of my career. This experience gave me an incredible education on Dallas history, architecture, and what was needed to sell architecturally significant homes as Munger Place has the greatest collection of architect-designed homes in Dallas. Specializing in this historic neighborhood gave me the opportunity to sell a vast majority of the homes in Munger Place at least once. These homes include those designed by the most prominent architects in Dallas. On some blocks I have sold every home on the block at least once.
Original Munger Place Addition’s 5000-5100 Block is Most Prominent of Swiss Avenue
National Award-Winning Realtor Douglas Newby Has Now Sold Every Home on this Block Face of Swiss Avenue
Every block of Swiss Avenue has spectacular homes with uniform setbacks looking over a boulevard of mature live oak trees. The even numbered side of the 5000-5100 block of Swiss Avenue is particularly magnificent. These five homes are on one-half acre to one-acre extra large lots and the homes have 11-foot ceilings, even taller than the 9 ½- or 10-foot ceilings found in the other homes on the Swiss Avenue boulevard. Also distinguishing the block, three of the five homes were designed by architects Lang & Witchell.
Lang & Witchell Designed Many Important Buildings in Downtown Dallas and the Town Hall in Highland Park
Lang & Witchell was one of the most important early 20th century architecture firms in Dallas. Their downtown Dallas commercial buildings were substantial and elegant. Of the buildings Lang & Witchell designed, you would probably be most familiar with Highland Park Town Hall.
Lang & Witchell Designed Early Prairie Style Home on Swiss Avenue
The Higginbotham family, who owned the largest lumber yard in Dallas, was one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in Dallas at the turn of the century and for much of the next 100 years. The Higginbotham family had the resources to hire Lang & Witchell to design in 1913 their home on Swiss Avenue. The design architect within Lang & Witchell who designed this Prairie style house at 5002 Swiss was Charles E. Barglebaugh. Barblebaugh had recently come to Dallas after working with Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago. While all the homes on the boulevard of Swiss Avenue have a Prairie style influence, regardless of their various eclectic facades, the home at 5002 Swiss is a salient example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style.
Higginbothams Retained Lang & Witchell to Design a English Country Style Home Next Door for Their Daughter
The Higginbotham family retained the architectural firm of Lang & Witchell to design a home next door to their own home as a wedding present for their daughter. This English country style estate home, built in 1928, was placed on a nearly one-acre lot. It was a thrill the first time I sold it for almost $1,000,000 in the 1980s, when Old East Dallas was still a little sketchy and homes in Highland Park were often selling for only $1,000,000. Previous owner of the home at 5020 Swiss include O.L. Nelms and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Estate Home on Corner of Swiss Avenue and Munger Boulevard Anchor Block
This large three-story architect-designed home is one that I had previously sold and is perfect to anchor this block of Swiss Avenue. The architectural styles of Swiss Avenue boulevard have great variety and simultaneously architectural compatibility. Each home is distinctive, but obviously part of the architectural collection of architecturally significant homes found on the boulevard.
Architectural Comma Between Row of Lang & Witchell Houses
This historic home at 5032 Swiss is charming and significant. It beautifully expresses the architecture of the era and of Swiss Avenue. It also serves as an architectural comma between the first two homes, 5002 Swiss and 5020 Swiss, that were designed by Lang & Witchell, and the last home Lang & Witchell designed on the block, 5112 Swiss.
Exclamation Mark on Swiss Avenue Boulevard
This historically significant home at 5112 Swiss is the architectural exclamation mark of Lang & Witchell, as it is the last home designed by architects Lang & Witchell on the block. This architecturally significant home is also an exclamation mark for me as it is always fun to have sold every home on a block at some point in my career. This home is a real beauty! It is architecturally and historically significant and has a grace that projects the intent of the Munger Brothers and the street.
Summer House, Conservatory and Gardens Extend Estate Home Feel of Swiss Avenue Home
Swiss Avenue boulevard homes are grand from the street, but have enough land to extend the estate home feel to their rear gardens. The home at 5112 Swiss does this with its conservatory and summer house.
The 5000-5100 Block is Exclamation Mark of Swiss Avenue Boulevard, One of the Five Iconic Streets of Dallas
There is a reason Swiss Avenue is widely considered one of the five most iconic streets in Dallas. The homes on Swiss are not large by current Dallas standards, but they project the sense of a mansion because of the way they are sited on elevated lots that overlook the boulevard. The deed restrictions and historic district restrictions maintain the architectural elegance of the boulevard that has not been replicated anywhere in Dallas.
Swiss Avenue Historic District reflects organic urbanism.
