National Register Listing

Rosemont Crest Historic District

Roughly bounded by 10th St., Oak Cliff Blvd., W. Davis St., N. Brighton Ave., W. 8th St. and Rosemont Ave., Dallas, TX

The Rosemont Crest Historic District is significant in the area of Architecture. Houses within the district display typical craftsman and Prairie School-inspired details that predominated the time. Although small in size, the district represents one of the best-preserved subdivisions of houses and associated commercial buildings that developed in Oak Cliff during the early 20th century. The period of significance extends from the earliest construction in 1915 to 1944, fifty years ago. The historic district is associated with the historic context of Suburban Development in Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas, 1887-1944.

The Rosemont Crest Historic District includes nearly all of the subdivisions of the Rosemont Crest Addition, initially planned by the Allen Stemmons Company. (see attached plat map) The original plat was filed on April 30, 1913, delineating an L-shaped area comprising about six blocks. Jefferson Avenue separates the planned triangular commercial plots on the south, from the residential area to the north. An amended map of the area was filed on June 14, 1913, and changes included the addition of three lots on N. Waverly Street, the extension of Eighth Street westward to N. Marlborough Street, and the extension of N. Brighton Street to the north.
When the Rosemont Crest Addition opened in 1913, Oak Cliff was experiencing rapid growth, much of it following along the Fort Worth interurban line that ran along Jefferson Avenue. The new addition was marketed as a middle-class neighborhood. Developers followed a pattern that dated to Oak Cliff's founding, improving property close to the interurban line. However, the addition was also one of the last "streetcar suburbs" as the era of the streetcar reached its zenith at about that time.

The opening of the Oak Cliff-Dallas Viaduct in 1912 and the publication and partial adoption of the Kessler Plan encouraged greater use of automobiles. The people of Dallas and Oak Cliff began to rely less on the interurban as a primary means of transportation. Thus automobiles ushered in a new kind of suburban expansion and growth. Cars allowed speculators to develop areas away from fixed lines that previously dictated physical growth in Oak Cliff.

Both craftsman and Prairie School-influenced details can be found on the four-square houses and bungalows throughout the district. The dwelling at 247 Waverly Drive is a good example of craftsman detailing on a bungalow, with its low-pitched, gable roof, exposed rafters and beams and a partial porch supported by square columns. The bungalow at 217 N. Brighton is another fine example of craftsman detailing, with sharply protruding rafters and slender wood porch columns resting on massive brick pillars.

The bungalow at 210 N. Marlborough is an example of an "airplane bungalow," with a gable-roofed sleeping alcove, low-pitched hipped main and porch roofs, and widely overhanging eaves establishing strong horizontal lines. Most 2-story houses within the district follow four-square plans such as the Prairie School-influenced example at 221 N. Brighton Avenue.

The Rosemont Crest area possesses a strong sense of cohesiveness that distinguishes it from many other neighborhoods in Oak Cliff. The commercial area is still a recognizable and viable aspect of the original neighborhood. Despite the unsympathetic additions reflected on the commercial properties, several retain their integrity. The houses are representative of broad trends in Oak Cliff's residential development of the early 20th century.

Local significance of the district:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1994.