The Prairie School Traveler

Random Notes - A Blog

22 November 2008
A recent trip took me to Dallas, which has a modest number of Prairie buildings. Perhaps of greatest interest is an ensemble of commercial buildings on, aptly enough, Commerce Street. This portion of the street feels something like a no-man's-land, with cars rushing to by to an onramp for I-45, and it’s evidently not a successful place for business, as all five buildings in this group are vacant. The most interesting is 2210 Commerce Street, with its stock Sullivanesque ornament.

Also of interest is a section of East Dallas built around Swiss Avenue, which in 1974 was entered in the National Register of Historic Places as the Swiss Avenue Historic District. It possesses approximately 200 homes designed in a wide range of fashionable styles, none particularly “pure” but all agreeably blending with their neighbors. Prairie details are frequently found alongside Mediterranean, Mission and Arts & Crafts ones. For an excellent overview, visit the Swiss Avenue Women’s Guild, which has a photograph and thumbnail history of every house in the District.

As always, I welcome your comments about this site or any Prairie School building.

John A. Panning, Lake City, Iowa

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