The Munger Place Historic District is a neighborhood and historic district in

Old East Old East is a residence hall located at the north part of campus in University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Built in 1793 by slave labor, it became the first state university building in the United States. The Wren Building at the College o ...

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

(

USA The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

), generally lying between North Fitzhugh Avenue on the southwest, Gaston Avenue on the northwest, Henderson Avenue on the northeast, and Columbia Avenue on the southeast. Detailed boundaries are defined in th
Munger Place Ordinance
It is a Dallas Landmark District and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

History

Munger Place was established in 1905 by cotton gin manufacturer Robert S. Munger on as one of Dallas's first suburbs, and was originally intended to be one of the most exclusive communities in the city. To attract the "right" social element, Munger Place was carefully planned. Just minutes from

downtown Dallas Downtown Dallas is the central business district (CBD) of Dallas, Texas, United States, located in the geographic center of the city. It is the second-largest business district in the state of Texas. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally ...

by carriage, Munger Place became the very first deed-restricted neighborhood in Texas. Homes had to be a full two stories, cost at least

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

2,000 and no house could face a side street. The infrastructure featured such amenities as sidewalks, paved streets, shade trees, sewers, gas mains, and electric street lights. Many of the Dallas' leading businessmen and social elite soon called magnificent Munger Place home. The

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

led many of the community's mansions to be converted into multi-family housing. The neighborhood lost its elite cachet, and by the 1960s many of the nicer houses in the area had been torn down or condemned. Starting in the 1970s, however, Munger Place began to be rediscovered, as enterprising individuals recognized the historic architecture (particularly

Prairie Style Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...

) and large spaces behind the neighborhood's dilapidated veneer.

Heritage designations

Only a portion of Munger Place is included in the Munger Place Historic District. Munger Place can be described as having northern, western, and southern portions. The northern and western portion of Munger Place is in the Swiss Avenue Historic District. The southern portion generally is in the Munger Place Historic District. Separating the two historic districts is Gaston Avenue, and the lots on either side of Gaston Avenue are excluded from either historic district. In 1978, the National Park Service added Munger Place Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1980, the City of Dallas recognized the historic district as a Landmark District. The boundaries of the national and city districts are nearly the same. Comprising over 250 households it is the largest collection of Prairie-Style homes in America. With most of the homes now completely renovated, Munger Place has once again become a desirable neighborhood for families of all types looking for charming, historic homes near downtown Dallas. Each year the neighborhood holds a home tour and art festival that attracts fans of historic architecture and independent artists.

Education

The neighborhood is served by the

Dallas Independent School District The Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD or DISD) is a school district based in Dallas, Texas, United States. It operates schools in much of Dallas County, Texas, Dallas County and is the second-largest school district in Texas and t ...

(DISD). Residents in the neighborhood northeast of N Fitzhugh Avenue are zoned to William Lipscomb Elementary School (grades PK-5) in

Junius Heights Junius Heights is Dallas' largest historic district, a neighborhood of more than 800 homes in East Dallas, Texas (USA) situated east of Munger Place, south of Swiss Avenue and southwest of Lakewood. It is relatively rectangular, bounded roug ...

, J.L. Long Middle School, and Woodrow Wilson High School. Residents in the neighborhood southwest of N Fitzhugh Avenue (along a short section of Tremont Street) are zoned to Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary School, Alex W. Spence Middle School, and

North Dallas High School North Dallas High School is a public secondary school located in the Oak Lawn area of Dallas, Texas, United States. It enrolls students in grades 9- 12 and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District. As of 2017, the principal administ ...

. Residents' children also attend various magnet schools in the district, as well as a variety of private schools in and around the area includin
Holy Trinity Catholic School
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, Lakehill Preparatory School, St. John's Episcopal School and First Baptist Academy.

Photo gallery

Image:Munger Place Historic District4.JPG Image:Munger Place Historic District3.JPG Image:Munger Place Historic District2.JPG Image:Munger Place Historic District1.JPG Image:Munger Place Historic District6.JPG

References

External links

{{NRHP in Texas Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas National Register of Historic Places in Dallas Dallas Landmarks Neighborhoods in Old East Dallas Houses in Dallas County, Texas