Greer, George C., House

a.k.a. Greer-Saner-McCutcheon House;See also:Swiss Avenue Historic

5439 Swiss Ave., Dallas, TX
The 1916 George C. Greer House is named after its first owner and resident, George C. Greer, a prominent Dallas businessman and co-founder of Magnolia (Mobil) Petroleum Company. Part of the Swiss Avenue Historic District, the property represents the growth of wealth and industry in Dallas during the early 20th century due to developing industries and businesses such as petroleum, railroads, and real estate. The Greer House, like the other residences around it, was developed for a new, wealthy class of citizens in a planned subdivision known as Munger Place. The houses erected in the district reflected the wealth and prominence of the residents that the neighborhood was designed to attract. Designed by Dallas architect Hal B. Thompson, this elaborate and well-preserved house continues to be one of the most admired homes in Dallas. For its unique combination of Georgian Revival and Italian Renaissance stylistic features, and for its representation of an upper-class residence built as a result of the economic and industrial growth in Dallas during the early 20th century, the house qualifies under Criterion C in the area of Architecture at the local level of significance.

Dallas at the turn of the century was a city of growth and change, with industry and manufacturing becoming increasingly important facets of the economy. In 1890, Dallas had a population of 38,067, making it the largest city in the state. By 1904, the population increased to 42,638, although the 1904 Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide estimated it to be closer to 75,000 due to the recent annexation of nearby Oak Cliff and other smaller populous areas. Eight rail lines traversed the city, radiating in 15 different directions, making it a major transportation outlet. The number of banking institutions in the city made Dallas the most important financial center in the state. Also in 1904, Dallas ranked first of all Texas cities in manufacturing, and industries such as petroleum were rapidly increasing due to the massive oil discovery at Spindletop in Jefferson County in 1901. This discovery marked the birth of the modern petroleum industry and led to the formation of several corporations, including the Magnolia Petroleum Company in Dallas.

Robert S. Munger of Dallas played a major role in the growth of the manufacturing industry in Dallas. He became wealthy in manufacturing cotton gin machinery, organizing the Cotton Machine Company in Dallas in 1888 and the Northington-Munger-Pratt Company in 1892 in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1899 he merged these and other companies to form the Continental Gin Company in Dallas, which soon became the largest manufacturer of cotton gins in the United States. The company's buildings in east Dallas, just south of the Swiss Avenue Historic District, are listed on the National Register (NR 1983). By 1902, after observing restricted residential districts in Birmingham, Munger sold his interest in the company and devoted his resources to real estate in order to devise such a subdivision for Dallas. His real estate dealings eventually led to the accumulation of over three hundred acres in East Dallas. In 1905, he created Munger Place, an exclusive residential area designed to attract the leaders and wealthy citizens of Dallas.

Swiss Avenue constitutes the main thoroughfare of the Munger Place district. To make Swiss Avenue the most prestigious of all the streets in the subdivision, Munger set aside land for a private drive on the north side of Swiss Avenue and a section to divide it from the public thoroughfare on the south. To ensure prestige, Munger purportedly brought a new concept to residential planning in Dallas called deed restrictions. Among the restrictions were that all property would be sold to white persons only, that all residences would be at least two full stories, and that all residences would cost at least $10,000. The front porch of any residence was to be not less than 60 feet from the front property line and not more than 70 feet. There were also to be no stables or barns or other outhouses within 150 feet from the front line of the property. All residences were to face Swiss Avenue and not the side streets. A 1907 advertisement for Swiss Avenue by Munger stated that "[t]his is a New High-class Residence Addition to our beautiful city, in which probably purchasers of lots for homes will find Greater Advantages than in any other residence section in the South."

Nearby Collet Avenue provided Munger Place residents with street railway service to downtown. Other residents traveled downtown by carriages or motor cars. The district also supplied inhabitants with upscale amenities such as paved streets, sidewalks, sewers, gas mains, and electric street lights. The nearby White Rock Reservoir and Lakewood Country Club furnished residents with recreational areas.

Munger was largely able to achieve his goal of attracting the city's elite to the district. Among the Munger Place residents were Carrie Neiman, a founder of Neiman-Marcus department stores; Ben H. Stephens, a founder of Magnolia (Mobil) Petroleum Company; and Woodall Rogers, a Dallas mayor.

In 1916, George C. Greer, a prominent Texas attorney, commissioned Hal Thompson, an architect, to design his home in the Munger Place district on Swiss Avenue.

Greer graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1883 with a Master of Arts degree, earning the Founders Medal for the highest general average. Greer's father, Lewis V. Greer, served as lieutenant governor of Texas in 1847 and then ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1849. George Greer, like his father, also dabbled in politics, serving four years in the state senate during the 25th and 26th sessions of the senatorial body. He began practicing law in 1889 and moved to Beaumont in 1896 where he quickly gained the reputation of being one of the state's best lawyers. With the discovery of oil at the Spindletop oilfield just south of Beaumont in 1901, Greer became part of the booming petroleum industry as one of the co-founders of the Magnolia Petroleum Company (later Mobil) in 1911. He authored the company's Articles of Association, its By-Laws, and its Declaration of Trust.

Greer became a resident of Dallas in May 1914, when Magnolia's headquarters relocated to the city. In 1916, Greer moved into his new home on Swiss Avenue. He served Magnolia Petroleum Company as its general attorney and as a trustee. Greer also represented other corporations whose legal business did not conflict with his connection to Magnolia Oil. After becoming ill, Greer was sent to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He died in May 1920 and his body was brought back to Dallas and a funeral was held in his home.

Greer's role in the founding of Magnolia Petroleum Company was probably his greatest achievement. By 1941 the petroleum industry, with Magnolia playing a leading role, employed over a million workers and paid wages of $1.5 billion.

After Greer's death, John Crawford Saner moved into the Swiss Avenue home in 1920. Like Greer, Saner was a well-known Texas lawyer. He also attended Vanderbilt University before switching to the University of Texas, where he graduated in 1897 and received a Master of Law degree a year later.

In 1898, Saner became associated with the law firm of Saner, Saner & Jack. Saner's name became known to lawyers all over the Southwest. Eight years after Saner was admitted to the bar he became president of the Schluter-Whiteman Lumber Company. He later became president of the Saner-Whiteman Lumber Company, then the Saner-Ragley Lumber Company, and then the W.C. Ragley Company. These south Dallas lumber companies were largely involved in the construction of Oak Cliff. Saner also held investments in oil and railroads. In late 1947, Saner moved from the Swiss Avenue home and died in July 1948.

After Saner moved out in 1947, Currie McCutcheon and his wife Ruby moved into the home. Mr. McCutcheon was a former Dallas County District Attorney and was also the defense attorney in the noted Toy- Wooley murder trial in 1933. McCutcheon founded and presided over the Lawyers Surety Corporation, a bonding and insurance firm.

McCutcheon and his wife Ruby were actively involved in Democratic Party affairs. Mrs. McCutcheon served as president of the Democratic Women's Club of Dallas County during the 1940s. After the McCutcheons moved to Swiss Avenue, their home served as the headquarters of the organization until Mrs. McCutcheon resigned. In 1948, Mrs. McCutcheon served on the welcoming committee for Harry Truman's visit to Dallas and rode in the presidential motorcade. In September 1952, Mr. McCutcheon committed suicide in the first-floor bathroom of his Swiss Avenue home.

After McCutcheon's death, his wife and son Currie McCutcheon, Jr., remained in the home until Mrs. McCutcheon's death in 1979. The home was sold to Fred and Yvonne Whitaker in 1979. After Whitaker's divorce, Dr. Barbara and Lloyd McDaniel, the current owners, bought the house in 1984.

The George C. Greer House is a notable member of the Swiss Avenue Historic District and is significant for its architectural design. Designed by architect Hal B. Thompson, the house is a hybrid mix of Georgian Revival and Italian Renaissance details, and has also been labeled an "English Palladian" style residence. Thompson, son of the prominent cattleman and oilman P.M. Thompson, was born in Austin on June 24, 1882.

He first attended the University of Texas, then later attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1906 and a Master of Science in 1907. In 1908, Thompson set up his architecture practice in Dallas. He was active in the Dallas Society of Architects, the American Institute of Architects, and designed a number of major residences in Dallas before his death on October 28, 1974.

The Greer House combines many different elements to form its hybrid style. Its mixed design combines different styles in response to functional needs. Thompson adapted traditional styles and acknowledged the harsh realities of the Texas climate, providing casement windows and French doors to deal with the typically hot summer months. Thompson did not seek to copy traditional styles, but to combine elements to be comfortable and functional. This type of design has become much more appreciated by contemporary architects as part of a current revival in architecture that has shifted attention from architecture as a response to purely functional needs.

The George C. Greer House was built in 1916, during a surge of construction in the Munger Place district that began in 1910. The property played an important role in the historical development of the residential subdivision, as it was and still is seen as one of the most significant and elegant homes of the Swiss Avenue Historic District. The grandness and elegance of the Greer House also illustrate the emerging prosperity in the city and state due to developing industries such as petroleum. While several houses on Swiss Avenue display Georgian Revival characteristics, the more elaborate Italian Renaissance features of the Greer House distinguish it from others nearby. The home has been described by the Dallas chapter of the American Institute of Architects as 'perhaps the most impressive house on Swiss Avenue.'
Bibliography
Continental Gin Company, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas. National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, 1983. Copy on file at the National Register Programs of the Texas Historical Commission, Austin, Texas.

Dallas Daily Times Herald, "Death Comes to Dallas Lawyer at Baltimore." 7 May 1920.

Dallas Daily Times Herald, "Verdict Returns in Lawyer's Death." 24 September 1952.

Dallas Morning News, "Prominent Texas Attorney is Dead: George C. Greer, General Counsel Magnolia Company, Dies in Baltimore." 8 May 1920.

Dallas Morning News, "John Saner, Lumberman, Lawyer, Dies." 10 July 1948.

Dillard, Katherine. "Truman Portrait Unveilied: Democratic Women's Head Bows Out of Office." Harry S. Truman Library: Papers of President's Personal File.

Dillion, David. "Dream Houses: Rediscovering Hal Thompson's legacy of architectural eclecticism." Dallas Morning News, 25 January 1993.

Dooley, Judy Elaine Scwartz. "A History and Guide to the Swiss Avenue Historic District: 1905-1916." Master of Architecture thesis, University of Texas at Arlington, 1978.

Green, Mariana. "On the Avenue: An annual tour opens the doors to a historic gem." Dallas Life Magazine: Dallas Morning News, 3 May 1987.

Hawkins, Wallace. "They Directed the Legal Department." Magnolia News, April-May 1941.

Henry, Jay C. Architecture in Texas: 1895-1945. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1993.

Johnson, Frank W. A History of Texas and Texans, vol. 3,. Eugene C. Barker, ed. Chicago: The American Historical Society, 1914.

Magnolia Petroleum Company. "Forty-five Years Since Oil First Flowed at Magnolia's Birthplace." Magnolia News, April-May 1941.

McDaniel, Barbara, and Lloyd McDaniel. Interview by author, 4 February 1995, Dallas, Texas. Notes.

State of Texas. The Democratic Women of Dallas County: Yearbook 1947. Dallas: Melton.
Swiss Avenue Historic District, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas. National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, 1973. Copy on file at the National Register Programs of the Texas Historical Commission, Austin, Texas.

Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide. Galveston & Dallas: The Galveston-Dallas News, 1904 "Thompson, Hal B." Encyclopedia of Texas, 1915.

Tyler, Ron, ed. The New Handbook of Texas (Vol. 4 and 6). Austin: The Texas State Historical Association, 1996.

Warranty Deed with Vendors Lein. 1984. County of Dallas. Vol. 79221, page 3100, Dallas County
Courthouse, 28 September 1984.
Local significance of the building:
Architecture

Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

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.

The state of Texas was once an independent country known as the Republic of Texas. It gained independence from Mexico in 1836 and was a separate nation until it was annexed by the United States in 1845.
Dallas County, located in northern Texas, has a rich history that has contributed to its growth and significance. Here is a concise summary of its historical journey:

Established in 1846, Dallas County played a crucial role in the development of North Texas. The county's namesake, George Mifflin Dallas, was the Vice President of the United States at the time. The city of Dallas, the county seat, quickly emerged as a center for trade and commerce due to its strategic location along major transportation routes.

During the late 19th century, Dallas County experienced rapid economic growth driven by industries such as cotton, railroads, and cattle. The city of Dallas became a major hub for cotton trading, attracting business and establishing itself as a prominent financial center in the Southwest.

In the 20th century, Dallas County continued to evolve and diversify its economy. The discovery of oil in the nearby East Texas Oil Field in the early 1900s led to the development of the oil industry in the region, contributing to the county's prosperity. The county also played a significant role in the aerospace industry, hosting the headquarters of major aerospace companies and contributing to the growth of aviation technology.

Dallas County's cultural landscape reflects its vibrant and diverse population. The county is home to a wide range of cultural institutions, including museums, art galleries, theaters, and music venues. Dallas County also played a notable role in the civil rights movement, with important milestones in the fight for equality and integration.

Today, Dallas County stands as a major economic and cultural center. It boasts a robust economy supported by various industries, including finance, technology, healthcare, and telecommunications. The county is known for its thriving arts scene, professional sports teams, and diverse culinary offerings.

With its rich history, economic vitality, and cultural significance, Dallas County continues to shape North Texas as a dynamic and influential region.

This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Dallas County, Texas.

  • Pre-19th Century: The area was originally inhabited by various indigenous tribes, including the Caddo, Wichita, and Comanche.

  • 1839: Dallas County was officially established and named after George Mifflin Dallas, the Vice President of the United States under President James K. Polk.

  • Mid-19th Century: Dallas County experienced significant growth with the establishment of Dallas as a trading post and the arrival of settlers drawn by the opportunities in trade and agriculture.

  • Late 1800s: The county prospered with the expansion of railroads, particularly the Texas and Pacific Railway and the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, which solidified Dallas as a major transportation hub.

  • Early 20th Century: Dallas County saw a surge in economic development and urbanization. Industries such as oil, cotton, banking, and manufacturing fueled the city's growth.

  • 1960s: Dallas County gained national attention due to its role in the civil rights movement. The city of Dallas was the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

  • Late 20th Century: Dallas County continued to experience rapid growth and diversification, becoming a major center for business, finance, and telecommunications. The county is known for its vibrant arts and cultural scene, including the Dallas Arts District.

  • Today, Dallas County is the second-most populous county in Texas and home to the city of Dallas, a thriving metropolitan area.