Polly McKeithen and Jana Paul, co-presidents of the Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society (PCHPS), along with Tish Key, Historic Home Tour chair, announce the Historic Home Tour will happen on Saturday, April 24, 2021 and this year, the tour is totally virtual. Traditionally, the PCHPS spring events also feature a Distinguished Speaker Luncheon and Classic and Antique Car Show. Due to COVID-19, the scheduling has been revised. Those events are moved to Fall 2021. Dates to be announced.
We are thrilled to announce Highland Park Village as Preservation sponsor, D Home as Presenting Magazine sponsor and Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones as honorary chairs,
Tish said. The Rees-Joneses literally saved one of the homes on the tour, the historic 1933 'Elbert Williams House' at 3805 McFarlin Boulevard, from the wrecking ball by purchasing it last December.
In an effort to bring attention to the importance of this masterpiece of Texas Modern Regional architecture, University Park architect Bobby Clark hatched the idea (and PCHPS funded the publication) of the book A House for Texas, authored by local architect Larry Good and photographer Charles Davis Smith, to fully document the home and tell the story of its remarkable design. The sellers of the house are the Locke family, (the children of Eugene Locke and Adele Locke Seybold) who have owned the home since 1955. The house had been listed by Allie Beth Allman since late 2019 and had come to the attention of the Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society as an endangered historic treasure, a likely candidate for demolition due to its site on a 1.15-acre lot on Turtle Creek. Although the ultimate use and occupancy of the Elbert Williams/Locke House is yet to be determined by the new owners, Rees-Jones has made the commitment to preserve the house rather than demolish it. The Locke family has expressed how pleased and gratified they are by this act of stewardship. The Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society believes this may be the first time that an endangered historic residential landmark has been saved from the wrecking ball in the Park Cities.
The Historic Home Tour celebrates historic preservation and is designed to 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. The virtual Home Tour begins at 10:00 a.m. and can be watched for the next 48 hours. It will go offline on Monday morning, April 26, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. This is truly an exciting treat as details of furnishings, architecture and the history of each home will be described by a narrator TBA.
Underwriting and sponsorships are available via the website. Tickets are $20 for an individual ticket and $250 for the Patron Porch Party level (which includes two Home Tour tickets, copy of the book A House for Texas, Charcuterie Board for two from Boxed Bites, Festive Cocktails from Jim Beam and Pogo's Wine & Spirits, a treat from Gardenuity and more) and can be purchased from the website beginning March 15, 2021. For more information, call the PCHPS office (214) 528-0021.
See additional information below or visit:
Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society
MORE ON THE FLASH LIST
