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The Historic Districts
In many ways, Swiss Avenue symbolizes historic preservation in Dallas.
Dallas' first historic district, it is also a Texas Historical Site and listed in
the National Register of Historic Places. This influential neighborhood is composed
of portions of Swiss Avenue, Bryan Parkway, Bryan Street, La Vista Avenue and Live Oak
Street.
Although today it is considered a separate neighborhood, Swiss Avenue was
originally developed in 1905 as part of Munger Place. Brochures from that time show
that the Mungers promoted it as the "most attractive and desirable residence district
in the entire Southland."
The Mungers' significant contributions were their rigid building
requirements and uniform deed restrictions. Every home had to be individually
designed by an architect, enabling several local architects to establish lucrative
practices along these liveoak-lined streets. Deed restrictions required the house to
be two full stories, have a uniform setback from the street and cost a minimum of $10,000.
Water, sewage and telephone lines were installed in the alleys so as not to detract
from the striding facades.
The effects of these restrictions can still be seen today as the
neighborhood leads the way in preservation in the city. Composed of a little over
200 houses, the broad, landscaped boulevard of Swiss Avenue remains one of the outstanding
features of the area. Strollers and joggers are a common sight. As though
unchanged from its founding, the wide, sweeping lawns, large trees and generous front
porches give a friendly feeling to spacious homes that might otherwise seem rather formal.
Before the Mungers began their work, the portion of Swiss Avenue closer to
the city had already been established as a prestigious street. Early inhabitants
included the Wilson's (their homestead is now restored as part of the Wilson Block),
Captain William H. Gaston, the promoter of the City of East Dallas, and Swiss businessman
Jacob Nussbaumer, who named the street for his native country. Gaston believed so
much in his new city that he gave away land in order to convince people to settle there.
His two-story Greek Revival mansion was located at 3900 Swiss.
Other business leaders of the city built palatial homes along Swiss
Avenue, the silk-stocking district of the time. Architectural styles included
Neoclassical, Tudor, Spanish Eclectic, Italian Renaissance, Colonial Revival and Prairie.
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