Dallas’ century-old castle lands a buyer in a week
A nearly 100-year-old home in Dallas once owned by just two families went on the market last week for $2.5 million and is already under contract.
Set on just over an acre of land, the three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom home has original hardwood floors, leaded glass windows and plaster work, according to the listing with Rob Elmore of Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate. Many rooms also have their original paint.
“So many details are still there,” Mr. Elmore said. “Sellers wanted it to go to someone who will preserve and protect the best details.”
The sellers, both retired doctors, bought the house in 1972, although Mansion Global could not determine the price paid. They cared so much about the house being maintained that Mr. Elmore turned to Preservation Dallas, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving properties in the city. The organization organized a house tour last week for around 100 people.
“A lot of people like this house because it looks like a castle,” he said. And while new buyers, whom Mr. Elmore declined to identify, may update the bathrooms or kitchen, this home is not a teardown.
“It’s not that difficult to restore details like the watermark and the flooring,” Mr. Elmore said. “It’s possible to keep the best of the best and reuse other areas to make it more current for today’s life.”
Most rooms also have botanical themed wallpapers.
Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate
The residence was built in 1929 in the Lakewood neighborhood for LH Lacy, a native Texan and civil engineer, according to Preservation Dallas. Lacy, who died in 1978, helped create lightweight concrete boats for the U.S. Navy during World War I, and his work with concrete led to his involvement in building roads, including bridges and underpasses , in the 1920s and 1930s.
Architect Vern E. Shanklin designed the home, which also has a grand hall that leads to a living room with a period fireplace and French doors, according to the listing. Both are painted in mint green, which is part of the house’s original color palette.
Most of the rooms are brightly painted or covered with vintage wallpaper painted with ferns, flowers or other plants, as shown in the photos.
There’s also a wood-paneled dining room, a large veranda with an interior garden, and a library in the home’s turret that has built-in bookcases and a view of the front lawn, according to the listing.
The master bedroom has a fireplace, a dressing room, a vintage bathroom and an adjacent office. The second and third bedroom share a bathroom.
There is a kitchen with two ovens and a wine cellar, as well as a basement including a family room and a den with a bar. Additionally, there is a three car garage and a newly remodeled one bedroom cottage behind the main house.
Sellers were not immediately available for comment.