National Register Listing

Swiss Avenue Historic District

Swiss Ave. between Fitzhugh and LaVista, Dallas, TX

Swiss Avenue, founded as Swiss Boulevard in the early 1900s, was the focal point of the new exclusive residential area of Dallas, known as Munger Place. Today the Avenue contains unique examples of early Twentieth Century architecture and is the only area of the former district that has maintained its integrity as a neighborhood.

Munger Place was founded by R. S. Munger, who had become widely known throughout the Southwest in the late Nineteenth Century as a pioneer in the manufacturing of cotton gins. Unable at first to interest manufacturers in his new devices, Munger established his own enterprise, the Continental Gin Co., in Dallas in the 1880s. He later located his company in Avondale, Birmingham, and Prattville, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Bridgewater, Massachusetts. In 1902 Munger retired from the management of his ginning companies and became involved in real estate. Aware of various housing developments in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, Munger decided to establish a new residential area in Dallas.

In 1905 the Dallas Morning News announced the opening of Munger Place, a 140-acre residential development that the Munger family intended to be the "grandest residence section in the entire Southland." The area was to include the property between Fitzhugh to La Vista, and Bryan to Columbia.

Munger's son, Collett, took over as manager of the property. Munger Place was the third Dallas area within the city to be developed as an "exclusive residential district." Special features of the district insured the most modern conveniences for its residents. Lots in Munger Place were raised one to four feet above street level so that water would drain away from the house. All water, sewage, telephone, and electric lines were installed in alleys, ranging from 15 to 40 feet in width, to avoid disfiguring the architecture of the houses. The streets were paved, parkways were landscaped, and sidewalks were concreted. Furthermore, Munger Place was located within a convenient distance of the central business district.

There were no zoning laws prior to 1927, so Munger accomplished his dream of an "exclusive district" by placing certain restrictions as to cost, construction, landscape, and architecture on all residences, thus creating the first restricted development in Texas. Along Swiss Avenue, a $10,000 cost minimum was placed on all houses. Residences were to be two stories, facing the same direction on the street, and at least 60 to 70 feet from the front property line. Lots were sold only for residences and stores or shops were restricted to certain specified locations. It is to these deed restrictions, their enforcement, and their end effect that Munger Place stands out against earlier real estate developments.

Close proximity to the city of Dallas attracted those politically and civic-minded individuals conscious of their identity with Dallas. Along Swiss Avenue were the residences of persons involved in every phase of Dallas's growth. The first house in Swiss was built in 1905 by a young, successful physician, Dr. R. W. Baird, at 5303 Swiss. In 1910 Christian Weichsel, a pioneer in the Dallas banking and insurance world built a house at 5009 Swiss. Another early builder, Dr. J. B. Cranfill was not only prominent in the professions of medicine, ministry, and journalism, but was also a leader in the Prohibition party, serving as its vice-presidential candidate in 1892. Other prominent residents who built homes in the 1910s included B. T. Barry, an early mayor of Dallas; Reverend J. P. Lynch, Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas; Shirley M. English, president, and general manager of the Postal Telegraph--Cable Company of Texas; William A. Green, head of the firm William A. Green and Co., operating one of the most comprehensive department stores in Dallas; George Patullo, a Texas writer; J. P. Griffin, an officer of the Texas Electric Railway; C. R. Miller, founder of Texas Textile Mills; J. C. Robertson, a prominent attorney; E. R. Brown, president of the Magnolia Petroleum Company, vice-president of Standard Oil Company of New York; Rufus W. Higginbotham, a foremost merchant and founder of one of the largest wholesale dry goods houses in the South; and many other successful members of the progressive Dallas community.

Besides the obvious architectural and historical significance of Swiss Avenue, the area is also valuable to the city as an environmental resource. The strength of this area in terms of its unity and beauty makes it extremely important to the city as a potential incentive for the revitalization of East Dallas, generally plagued with the image of deterioration. Concerned Dallas citizens have come to realize that preservation efforts need to be directed to this area to prevent its decline. An important step was taken recently by the city council in passing a historic zoning ordinance and declaring Swiss Avenue a historic district. It is hoped that similar efforts will make the public aware of the area's significance and help to maintain its unique character, for the district remains one of the few historical areas in Dallas worthy of architectural distinction.

Local significance of the district:
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1974.