Some neighborhoods become known as the heart of a city, but others truly define an entire age. The Park Cities, which include Highland Park and University Park, are special because their homes aren’t just buildings—they’re a statement.
In this community, the homes that were erected long ago or just very recently are those that last. The homes here are not those that change styles from time to time. In Park Cities, it’s a land of standards where the aspect of good workmanship and design of such homes matters.
How It All Began
So, how did this come about? Why does Park Cities stand out as a model for great building design, even as Dallas continually updates its skyline?
It all began with John S. Armstrong, a cotton man with a vision. In the early 1900’s, Armstrong realized that there was an opportunity to build a community that could be away from the growing industrial atmosphere of Dallas not only geographically but also socially.
Armstrong teamed with George E. Kessler, an urban planner from Germany who had already planned Fair Park and the overall layout of the city of Dallas. Together, they had a vision of a new kind of place: wide streets, plenty of green space, and architectural designs that were much more like Europe than the rest of the Western United States.
Planning With Purpose
Right from the outset, Highland Park and University Park had rules on constructing buildings and street layout that were almost unprecedented in Texas. The result of this was that it allowed the area to develop in a controlled fashion that aimed to withstand the tests of time, be beautiful, and have a consistent design.
The reason Highland Park and University Park feel different from the rest of Dallas is that they were created differently. While Dallas grew with quick building projects, Park Cities was shaped by chosen designers. They knew homes should not only be useful then but also remain beautiful for years.
A Showcase of Classic Architecture
Park Cities became a showcase of classic architectural concepts. The initial homes borrowed from Beaux-Arts, Georgian, Colonial Revival, and Neoclassical architectural traditions. Such architectural traditions were more than aesthetically driven. They were concerned with notions of balance, scale, and the concept of permanence.
They used materials that exemplified these principles. They liked brick better than other materials, preferring limestone and slate. The work they accomplished included carvings by artisans, intricate metal work, and wood details that were high quality. The underlying principle remained constant as new methods of construction were adopted: homes in Park Cities should be made with care.
Architectural Influence
The Mediterranean Revival house designs were quite fashionable in Park Cities during the 1920s and 1930s. The homes had stucco walls, red tile roofs, and iron balconades. These homes added a touch of warmth and a sense of Mediterranean elegance to the tree-lined streets. They were modeled on Spanish and Italian coastal homes.
Architects such as Hal Thomson had a great influence on such an architectural style, and his work in Highland Park is admired to date. Thomson’s high-quality work with attention to detail and his success in combining grandeur with added personal details stands as that of the Park Cities designs to this day.
Why It Stands Apart
While Dallas has many fancy neighborhoods, such as Preston Hollow, Bluffview, and Greenway Parks, Park Cities is special. It’s not just about money; it’s about having real, respected building designs.
One of the factors that has allowed Park Cities’ architectural unity to remain the same is that it has zoning rules and design regulations. In most of the area of Dallas, teardowns of old homes have been followed by new homes that often clash in design.
How homes must be set back from the road ensures that homes look similar. Restrictions on the area that may be covered ensure that not much building takes place. This keeps the area feeling spacious. Restrictions on heights prevent towering buildings from spoiling the look of the streets.
As a result of these regulations, Park Cities has managed to avoid the problem that has affected some exclusive neighborhoods of having houses that are too large and thus tend to stick out.
Balancing Past and Present
Another reason Park Cities has remained a top example of good design is its consistency. Unlike areas where modern, new buildings have disrupted the feel, Park Cities has valued its history while still moving into the future.
This does not mean that the area has ignored modern architecture. In fact, it has embraced new architectural ideology. Modern houses that were constructed recently still observe the principles of having size, quality material, and material. Although it has simpler designs due to modernization, the best modern houses found in Park Cities do not encounter conflict with the previously existing architectural designs. In fact, it seems like an organic transition.
A Tradition of Excellence
Park Cities has always been an attraction for skilled builders in the area of Dallas. From the early design artists such as C.D. Hill and Korn to the current companies that design custom luxurious homes, there’s been an emphasis on excellence.
Homeowners in the Park Cities look not only for contractors. They look for experts who understand classic designs. The area that includes both Highland Park and University Park contains skilled contractors. The homes need more than blueprints. They need a vision.
Built to Endure
Park Cities is not frozen in the past. Like good neighborhoods always do, it keeps undergoing various changes. The question here is not whether it changes but how it changes.
That won’t change is that it cares about quality. Styles may come and go, but Park Cities will always appreciate quality materials that develop character as it ages, balance within design, and homes that look as permanent as the trees that surround them.
Where modern-day fans may want to explore something new elsewhere, in Park Cities there’ll always be more to constructing than the latest trend. More than that. In Park Cities, it’ll be constructing homes that last. Structures that come with a story. And an area that preserves its standing as the model of excellence in architectural design for the city of Dallas.
Park Cities has accomplished something that very few neighborhoods in America have been able to: it has maintained a consistent and well-ordered architectural design. Wherever else one may travel in America, architectural designs seem to change from year to year. In a sense, it’s an uncompromising kind of neighborhood. This area offers the kind of design that skilled designers strive for. In this area, every single house that may have been constructed either in 1920 or 2020 should blend in and last for a long time.
