Some houses in Dallas are simply old; others are historic. Only a fraction of them are unique enough to be included on the National Register of Historic Places. This inclusion signifies their importance within the community, whether for their architecture, purpose, local history or the people attached to them. Over the years, The Dallas Morning News has covered places on the national register along with their residents. Some houses and stories are better known than others, but all deserve recognition.
Didaco and Ida Bianchi House
Address: 4503 Reiger Ave.
National Register: 1995
Dallas Landmark: Process initiated 2016
Architect: Lang & Witchell
Style: Mission Revival
Construction completed: around 1912
Didaco and Gaetano Bianchi, brothers and Italian immigrants, were known for their company, Southern Architectural Cement Stone Company. They specialized in using cement in artistic designs like columns and fireplaces.
This house was built for Didaco and his wife, Ida, and was a project of local architects Lang & Witchell. However, according to the national register, Didaco likely influenced the design as he constructed inside elements like two 9-foot scagliola columns. The National Park Service defines scagliola as imitation marble patterns on a plaster surface.
The house was designated a “House of the Future” at the 1936 Centennial Exposition in Fair Park for its ventilation, plumbing and electrical systems, according to Preservation Dallas.
In 1914, only two years after the house was completed, Didaco died. Ida remained in the house for more than 60 years, according to the City of Dallas Office of Historic Preservation. Since Ida’s time at the house, The News has covered its periods of decline. Today, it is protected by the Landmark Commission.
Thomas Shiels House
Address: 4602 Reiger Ave.
National Register:1995
Dallas Landmark: 2007
Architect: unknown
Style: Craftsman
Construction completed: around 1906
This house was part of a neighborhood called E.H. Ray’s Addition, built between 1902 and 1915. While the officially recognized style in the national register is Craftsman, the documentation also mentions the Prairie School-style porch and Queen Anne-style materials.
The house is notable for its design and the period in which it was built. It was part of East Dallas’ second wave of development, when old Victorian estates began to be replaced. The national register calls the house an excellent example of a single-family home from that time.
Thomas Shiels was important for his role in developing East Dallas and other parts of the city, according to the City of Dallas Office of Historic Preservation. He first served as vice president of a carpentry company, Citizens Planing Mill, before opening a business with his brother. The national register documentation called the second company Shiels-Stacy-Shiels, but an article about Shiels’ death in 1925 said it was Shiels Planing Mills Company and a 1928 city directory said it was named Elliot Shiels Planing Mill. This eponymous company, regardless of name, was touted for its high-grade millwork and interior finishes.
George C. Greer House
Address: 5439 Swiss Ave.
National Register: 1997
Architect: Hal B. Thompson
Style: Italian Renaissance and Georgian Revival
Construction completed: 1916
This house is part of the Swiss Avenue Historic District, but it also has a separate entry in the national register. It received the designation for its distinctive architectural elements like its end porches with Roman arches and Doric columns.
George C. Greer was a prominent Dallas businessman and attorney linked to Magnolia Petroleum Company, later called Mobil Oil. His 1920 obituary recorded his contributions to the Texas legal community, including stints in the state Senate.
Two prominent people lived in the house after his death, according to the national register. John Crawford Saner, another prominent Texas attorney, moved in followed by former Dallas County District Attorney Currie McCutcheon and wife, Ruby.
OTHER HISTORIC HOMES IN EAST DALLAS
More recognizable houses in East Dallas include the DeGolyer Estate, Roger D. McIntosh House and the Bromberg House.
DeGolyer Estate (8525 Garland Road): Originally called Rancho Encinal, it was completed in 1940 for geologist Everette Lee Degolyer and his family. While it was known for its more than 15,000-volume library complete with two hidden rooms for rare books, it also had indirect fluorescent lighting which was novel at the time. According to the national register, the library was considered one of the finest collections on the history of science in this hemisphere.
DeGolyer died in 1956 and his wife followed 16 years later. The estate was left to Southern Methodist University, who moved the books to its campus and listed it for sale. The News reported that the city of Dallas spent over $1 million to purchase the property and its surrounding grounds in 1976. Today it is a feature of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and used as an event space.
Roger D. McIntosh House (1518 Abrams Road): McIntosh was a glass arts expert, which can be seen in this house that he purchased in the 1920s. In a 1978 article, The News reported that Ebby Halliday listed the house, also called “The Shack,” for sale. According to that article, McIntosh worked in the art glass department at Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company and became a highly sought designer for churches and residences. For his own home, he replaced windows and other elements like shelves with handcrafted creations.
Alfred and Juanita Bromberg House (3201 Wendover Road): This house was built between 1939 and 1940 by architect O’Neil Ford. It is included in the national register because it is an early example of Ford’s Texas regional design that used native materials in its construction.
