Celebrate by supporting Preservation Park Cities with Shopping, Participate in the Historic Home Tour, Visiting Iconic Historic Plaques, Read About the Top 100 Homes of the Park Cities and More!
May is National Preservation Month! Celebrate by supporting Preservation Park Cities (PPC) and learn more about these dynamic neighborhoods, Highland Park and University Park, that make up this unique community.
Here are some ways to join in the celebration:
May 1: Shopping at Veronica Beard in Highland Park Village: The celebrations kicked off with Shopping, Sips and Support Preservation Park Cities! Veronica Beard in Highland Park Village hosted a fabulous evening with a give-back on purchases to help celebrate our mission of preserving local history and architecture. 15% of purchases are donated back to PPC.
May 9: Historic Home Tour: Be sure to kick off Mother’s Day with the Historic Home Tour on Friday, May 9th from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm. Presented by Benchmark Bank and Trust, this annual Historic Home Tour offers an exquisite look into some of the most beautiful residential architecture, interior design and landscapes in the Park Cities.
Happening in person, these homes showcase different architectural styles with rich history and wonderful examples of how architecturally significant homes can be renovated to fit the needs of today. 2025 Home Tour co-chairs are Cory Bowen and Krista Porteous. Preservation Park Cities 2024-2025 president is Alisa Sell.
The homes on tour are 4036 McFarlin Boulevard. Sponsored by Bean Co. Homes.
4301 Windsor Parkway. Sponsored by Meredith Ferrell Group.
4302 Overhill Drive. Sponsored by Evan Beale MD.
Tickets are sold online only. No tickets sold at the door. $35.00 per person in advance and $45 day-of tour, if there are any left. Limited number available online only: https://preservationparkcities.org/hometour
For more information contact hometour@preservationparkcities.org
Proceeds from the Historic Home Tour benefit Preservation Park Cities whose mission is to preserve and promote the history, architecture, aesthetics and cultural traditions of the Park Cities.
We invite you to join us to celebrate these homes and homeowners in the name of historic preservation as we generate awareness of the role history and preservation play in enhancing the quality of life for everyone who lives and works in the Park Cities communities.
Iconic Historical Plaques:
Preservation Park Cities is placing large permanent plaques celebrating the history and significance of certain locations in several different areas around the Park Cities. As of today, five of the plaques are placed. The remaining three plaques (Snider Plaza, SMU and HPHS) will be placed later this year.
The plaques are located at:
- City Hall – 3800 University Blvd.
- Churches at Pardoe Park – 3821 University Blvd.
- Volk Estates at Byrd Park – 6700 Turtle Creek Blvd.
- Caruth Park – 7801 Hillcrest Avenue
- Moody Family YMCA -6000 Preston Road
- Snider Plaza – to be installed in Fall 2025 – 6601 Snider Plaza
- SMU Dallas Hall – to be installed later 2025 - 3225 University Blvd
- Highland Park High School –to be installed later 2025 - 4220 Emerson Avenue
There is a ninth plaque located at Centennial Park (formerly Goar Park) at Vassar and Turtle Creek Blvd. (3806 University Boulevard) which was presented to the City of University Park by Preservation Park Cities as part of the City of University Park’s 100th Anniversary Centennial Celebrations Closing Ceremony in December 2024.
Celebrate Homes of the Park Cities 100 Years Old!
As everyone drives around the Park Cities, they will soon notice commemorative signs placed in the yards of some homes that are 100 years old or more. This effort headed by Joan Clark and Kathy Myers, Preservation Park Cities board members, is all about recognizing historic homes listed in PPC’s The Houses of the Park Cities: An Architectural Guide to the Historic Houses of Highland Park and University Park Texas by R. Lawrence “Larry” Good.
About the book: The quality of the residential architecture from the first three-fourths of the twentieth century that is found in the Park Cities has few peers across the entire United States.
The period of Highland Park’s development, as well as the early years of University Park, coincided with the peak of the Garden Suburb movement in the US. Contemporary planned communities such as Beverly Hills, River Oaks (Houston), Lake Forest (Chicago), Roland Park (Baltimore) and Shaker Heights (Cleveland) boast many examples of fine residential architecture, but none surpassing, on the whole, that of the Park Cities.
And the work of the Park Cities’ leading architects, (Hal Thomson, Anton Korn, Fooshee & Cheek, and Charles Dilbeck) might be considered equal to that of the most revered country house architects practicing nationally at that time (Harrie T. Lindeberg, Bertram Goodhue, Charles Platt and Carrere & Hastings).
Following an introductory essay, the Guide divides the Park Cities into four geographic areas which serve as chapters of the book. There are three chapters covering the Town of Highland Park, while the City of University Park has a chapter to itself.
Each of these sections has a brief history of the physical planning and development of the Town and the City, followed by coverage of a similar number of houses, (170 in all), which are located on maps to facilitate easy touring. There are color photographs and a capsule description of each of the featured properties. The book is available for purchase on Amazon.com and at Interabang Books in Dallas.
Oral Histories and Videos:
Visit the website at www.preservationparkcities.org to discover even more about what the Park Cities is all about.
Here are two highlights:
University Park Centennial: This video series celebrates the 100th anniversary of University Park, a city known for its exceptional services, strong sense of community, and beautiful surroundings. Featuring Roy Coffee, former UP Mayor, Liz Farley, UP Councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem, and Muriel McCarthy, on UP Historic Home Architects.
Oral Histories of the Park Cities:
This video project interviews long-standing and influential members of the community highlighting how the history, architecture, people have shaped this unique place we call home.
Overview:
• The purpose of the annual Historic Home Tour is to showcase architecturally and historically significant homes of the Park Cities and illustrate how these homes have been restored or remodeled to serve the lifestyle needs of families today.
• The Historic Home Tour, Distinguished Speaker Luncheon and the Park Cities Car Show are the organization’s only fundraisers each year. The proceeds are allocated to help further our mission to celebrate and promote the preservation of Park Cities architecture, history, aesthetics, and cultural traditions.
• The organization landmarks architecturally and historically significant homes in the Park Cities, some of which are on the Historic Home Tour.
• Members of the organization enjoy historic and preservation oriented educational programs.
Preservation Park Cities Mission:
PPC mission is to preserve and promote the history, architecture, aesthetics, and cultural traditions of the Park Cities. Proceeds of the Distinguished Speaker Luncheon, Historic Home Tour and the Classic and Antique Car Show will be used to preserve and maintain the Park Cities House at Dallas Heritage Village, support the new PPC archives at the University Park Library, fund landmarking initiatives, award scholarships to Highland Park High School graduating seniors planning to study architecture or history and fund the Distinguished Chair for History at Highland Park High School. Membership in PPC is open to the community. For more information visit www.preservationparkcities.org