Kessler Park Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Bounded by Turner, Colorado, Sylvan and Salmon, Dallas, TXThe Kessler Park Historic District (Extension) is an intact residential area dating from the late 1920s to the early 1940s. Houses in the extension continue the architectural trends of the larger Kessler Park Historic District (NR, 1994). Modest examples of the Tudor Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles and bungalow forms dominate the area. The district is eligible at a local level of significance in the area of Architecture. It is associated with the historic context of Suburban Residential Development in Oak Cliff, Dallas, 1887-1944.
The period of significance begins with the date of construction of the first house in 1928 through 1944 when the period of suburban development is documented in the historic context. A few post-1944 buildings exist in the district and are listed as Noncontributing.
The development of the Kessler Park neighborhood began on March 19, 1923, with the sale of land in northern Oak Cliff to S.A. Temple. In early April 1923, the developers submitted a plat to the City of Dallas for ten blocks called Kessler Square Addition. This area is west of the extension. On November 30, 1923, J.B. Salmon, president of Kessler Highlands Development Company submitted a second addition to the City of Dallas (see Kessler Highlands Addition plat). This subdivision largely consists of east-west blocks with the exception of the northernmost section of curved streets and wedge-shaped lots. The latter conforms to the natural topography of the area. Tyler Avenue bisects the district curving to the northeast and meeting the larger Colorado Boulevard (formerly Kessler Boulevard).
Houses in Kessler Highlands are small with a consistent setbacks. They reflect popular architectural styles of the period in modest scale and proportions. Tudor Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival influences are the most common. These architectural influences continue from the larger Kessler Park Historic District to the west and south.
The Kessler Park Historic District (Extension) retains a high degree of architectural and design integrity. Since its development in the 1920s, the district remained an affluent neighborhood in Oak Cliff with a large number of owner-occupied houses. The district as a whole represents a continuation of George Kessler's design concepts and theories of community planning.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1995.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.