Peak's Suburban Addition, Dallas

Last updated
Peak's Suburban Addition
Neighborhood
Peak's Suburban Addition Historic District Dallas Wiki (1 of 1).jpg
Country estates built in the second half of the 19th century
Coordinates: 32°47′55.72″N96°46′19.89″W / 32.7988111°N 96.7721917°W / 32.7988111; -96.7721917
CountryUnited States of America
State Texas
County Dallas County
City Dallas
Time zone UTC-6:00 (CST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-5:00 (CDT)
Website www.peaksaddition.org/home

Peak's Suburban Addition is a historic residential neighborhood and City of Dallas Historic District in east Dallas, Texas (USA). The district's boundaries are, roughly, N. Fitzhugh Street to the northeast, Sycamore to the northwest, Peak Street and Haskell Street toward the southwest, and Worth Street along the southeast. [1] Peak's Suburban is East Dallas' oldest subdivision and oldest residential neighborhood. [2]

Contents

Early history

The land that encompasses much of the district now was formerly a plantation settled by Jefferson Peak. Peak was a veteran of the Mexican War. Peak was an early Dallas real estate developer. [1] Peak purchased land and built a home in 1855 at the corner of Worth and Peak streets, and it was the first brick house in Dallas. [2]

Peak, like many early settlers, was a beneficiary of large land grants. He reportedly traveled through East Dallas on his way to fight in the Mexican War in 1846 [3] and never forgot the territory, eventually making it his home. [4] Peak, sometimes referred to as the "father of East Dallas," initially relocated to Dallas in 1855. [5]

After the Civil War, Peak was joined by other large landowners purchasing in the area, including William H. Gaston, a former Confederate Army Captain. He purchased 400 acres along White Rock Road (now Swiss Avenue). Gaston was instrumental in bringing railroads and other industry to East Dallas, which resulted in a housing shortage. The housing shortage helped encourage Jefferson Peak and others to begin subdividing their lands. [3]

Prior to being incorporated as the city of East Dallas in 1882, the majority of the settlement in the area had been agriculture related. [3]

Jefferson Peak platted the first of his family's subdivisions along Ross Avenue in 1874. [3]

Peak and his son, Junius Peak, divided the family plantation in to a section of 16 blocks, which were sold as the Peak's Suburban Addition starting in 1879. Streets were named after the Peak family children: Worth, Carroll, Junius, Victor, and Flora. Many of these streets today cross between the Junius Heights Historic District, Munger Place Historic District, and Peak's Suburban Historic District. [1] Peak initially owned all the land from Elm Street to Capital Street and to Carroll and Haskell Avenues. [2]

After Jefferson Peak died in 1885, his son, Junius, began the larger-scale division and selloff of the family's extensive land holdings. The land around the Old Peak Homestead at Worth and Peak Streets was originally sold as Peak's Addition in 1897. Its development spurred many housing starts in East Dallas. [3]

Jefferson Peak's son in law, Thomas Field, was also an active real estate developer in East Dallas during the 1880s and 1890s. His firm, Field and Field Real Estate and Financial Agents, he managed to control or influence the sale of very large parcels of East Dallas land. He located his home on Peak Avenue between Gaston and Junius Streets. [3]

Streetcars Aided Development

The introduction of streetcar lines in East Dallas between 1887 and 1893—and the initiation of service around 1888—were keys to real estate development in the Peaks Addition area. The "Bryan Line," was one of the major crosstown streetcar lines serving northern sections of East Dallas, and others followed, connecting the neighborhood to Dallas' central business district. [3]

Architecture

The district includes examples of residential architecture dating from the 1890s to the 1930s. Styles visible in the district include late Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Classical Revival, Mission Revival, Victorian, and Craftsman bungalows. In addition, Peak's Suburban includes some examples of "streetcar apartments," from the 1920s and 1930s. [1]

The neighborhood includes the highest concentration of Victorian homes in Dallas. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oak Cliff</span> Neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, U.S.

Oak Cliff is an area of Dallas, Texas, United States that was formerly a separate town in Dallas County; established in 1886 and annexed by Dallas in 1903, Oak Cliff has retained a distinct neighborhood identity as one of Dallas' older established neighborhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Pleasant (Washington, D.C.)</span> Neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Mount Pleasant is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. The neighborhood is primarily residential, with restaurants and stores centered along a commercial corridor on Mt. Pleasant Street. Mount Pleasant is known for its unique identity and multicultural landscape, home to diverse groups such as the punk rock, the Peace Corps and Hispanic Washingtonian communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fan District</span> United States historic place

The Fan is a district of Richmond, Virginia, so named because of the "fan" shape of the array of streets that extend west from Belvidere Street, on the eastern edge of Monroe Park, westward to Arthur Ashe Boulevard. However, the streets rapidly resemble a grid after they go through what is now Virginia Commonwealth University. The Fan is one of the easterly points of the city's West End section, and is bordered to the north by Broad Street and to the south by VA 195, although the Fan District Association considers the southern border to be the properties abutting the south side of Main Street. The western side is sometimes called the Upper Fan and the eastern side the Lower Fan, though confusingly the Uptown district is located near VCU in the Lower Fan. Many cafes and locally owned restaurants are located here, as well as historic Monument Avenue, a boulevard formerly featuring statuary of the Civil War's Confederate president and generals. The only current statue is a more modern one of tennis icon Arthur Ashe. Development of the Fan district was strongly influenced by the City Beautiful movement of the late 19th century.

A streetcar suburb is a residential community whose growth and development was strongly shaped by the use of streetcar lines as a primary means of transportation. Such suburbs developed in the United States in the years before the automobile, when the introduction of the electric trolley or streetcar allowed the nation’s burgeoning middle class to move beyond the central city’s borders. Early suburbs were served by horsecars, but by the late 19th century cable cars and electric streetcars, or trams, were used, allowing residences to be built farther away from the urban core of a city. Streetcar suburbs, usually called additions or extensions at the time, were the forerunner of today's suburbs in the United States and Canada. San Francisco's Western Addition is one of the best examples of streetcar suburbs before westward and southward expansion occurred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakewood, Dallas</span> Neighborhood in Dallas, Texas, USA

Lakewood is a neighborhood in East Dallas, Texas (USA). It is adjacent to White Rock Lake and Northeast of Downtown Dallas. Lakewood is bound by Mockingbird Lane to the north, Abrams Road to the west, Gaston Avenue to the south, and White Rock Lake to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junius Heights, Dallas</span> Neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, USA

Junius Heights is Dallas' largest historic district, a neighborhood of more than 800 homes in East Dallas, Texas (USA) situated east of Munger Place, south of Swiss Avenue and southwest of Lakewood. It is relatively rectangular, bounded roughly by Gaston Avenue on the NW, Paulus Avenue on the NE, Reiger Avenue on the SE, and Henderson Avenue on the SW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring Hill, Somerville, Massachusetts</span> United States historic place

Spring Hill is the name of a ridge in the central part of the city of Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, and the residential neighborhood that sits atop it. It runs northwest to southeast, roughly bounded by Highland Avenue, Somerville Avenue, Elm Street, and Willow Avenue. Summer Street runs along the hill's crest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old East Dallas, Dallas</span> Community in Dallas, Texas, USA

Old East Dallas is a community consisting of several neighborhoods in east Dallas, Texas, (USA). In 1890, the city was annexed into Dallas, making Dallas the largest city in Texas. Contrary to what its name implies, East Dallas is rich with culture both old and new; after the annexation, entrepreneurs and creatives occupied then shabby warehouses, turning them into clubs and venues, bringing culture and many social scenes that still thrive today in what is now Deep Ellum, among other neighborhoods of this district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swiss Avenue Historic District</span> United States historic place

The Swiss Avenue Historic District is a residential neighborhood in East Dallas, Dallas, Texas (USA). It consists of installations of the Munger Place addition, one of East Dallas' early subdivisions. The Swiss Avenue Historic District is a historic district of the city of Dallas, Texas. The boundaries of the district comprise both sides of Swiss Avenue from Fitzhugh Street, to just north of La Vista, and includes portions of Bryan Parkway. The District includes the 6100-6200 blocks of La Vista Drive, the west side of the 5500 block of Bryan Parkway the 6100-6300 blocks of Bryan Parkway, the east side of the 5200-5300 block of Live Oak Street, and the 4900-6100 blocks of Swiss Avenue. The entire street of Swiss Avenue is not included within the bounds of the Swiss Avenue Historic District. Portions of the street run through Dallas' Peaks Suburban Addition neighborhood and Peak's Suburban Addition Historic District. 5215 Swiss was built in 1914 and was the home of J. P. Cranfield

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neighborhoods in Spokane, Washington</span>

Neighborhoods in Spokane, Washington are officially grouped by the Spokane City Council into three main city council districts: 1, 2, and 3. Each city council district contains multiple, official neighborhoods that are recognized with a neighborhood council. Informally, neighborhoods are colloquially grouped by local geographical, geological, cultural, or historical features The list of neighborhoods below is organized based on the official designations by the City of Spokane. Unofficial neighborhoods and districts are listed within the official neighborhood in which they are located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington, San Diego</span> Community of San Diego in California

Kensington is a neighborhood in San Diego, California. Its borders are defined by Interstate 15 to the west, Interstate 8 to the north, Fairmount Avenue to the east, and El Cajon Boulevard to the south. Its neighboring communities are Normal Heights to the west, and City Heights to the south. Kensington is part of San Diego City Council District 9. In the United States House of Representatives, Kensington is in California's 53rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Sara Jacobs. Due to redistricting, it will become part of the 51st district after the 2022 congressional election.

Columbus, the state capital and Ohio's largest city, has numerous neighborhoods within its city limits. Neighborhood names and boundaries are not officially defined. They may vary or change from time to time due to demographic and economic variables.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lummus Park Historic District</span> Neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States

The Lummus Park Historic District or simply Lummus Park, is on the National Register of Historic Places and a locally historic designated district in Miami, Florida. It is roughly bound by Northwest Fifth Street to the north, Flagler Street to the south, Northwest Third Avenue to the east, and the Miami River to the west. On October 25, 2006, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Lummus Park has some of the oldest structures in Miami, and over the decades, has been able to retain a large part of its early pioneer character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jefferson–Chalmers Historic Business District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Jefferson–Chalmers Historic Business District is a neighborhood located on East Jefferson Avenue between Eastlawn Street and Alter Road in Detroit, Michigan. The district is the only continuously intact commercial district remaining along East Jefferson Avenue, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MidTown (Columbus, Georgia)</span> Neighborhood in Muscogee, Georgia, United States

Midtown has an area of six square miles in Columbus, Georgia. It possesses residential neighbourhoods, eleven public schools, the Columbus Museum, the Columbus Public Library, the Muscogee County Public Education Center, the Columbus Aquatic Center and the international headquarters for Aflac. The population of Midtown is 22,000 residents living in 8500 households and is 10 kilometres north of Fort Benning on I-185.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring–Douglas Historic District</span> Historic district in Illinois, United States

The Spring–Douglas Historic District is a set of 496 buildings in Elgin, Illinois. Of those, 455 buildings contribute to the district's historical value. It is a residential district following Spring Street and Douglas Avenue from Kimball Street in the south to River Bluff Road to the north. The lands that now comprise the district were originally settled by Phineas J. Kimball and Vincent Lovell in the 1830s. Kimball's property eventually became the southern part of the district, which mostly housed working-class citizens. Lovell's subdivisions became housing for wealthier managers and doctors. The lower district is noted for its vernacular architecture, mostly gablefront houses, while the upper district represents a wide array of late 19th and early 20th century styles, mostly Queen Anne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uptown, Dallas</span> Place in Texas, United States

Uptown is a PID and a dense neighborhood in Dallas, Texas. Uptown is north of and adjacent to downtown Dallas, and is bordered by US 75 on the east, N Haskell Avenue on the northeast, the Katy Trail on the northwest, Bookhout Street and Cedar Springs Road on the west, N Akard Street on the southwest and Spur 366 on the south.

East Dallas, also referred to by the East Dallas Chamber of Commerce as the Lake & Garden District, is an expansive area of numerous communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas, United States that border nearby suburban cities to the east such as Garland, Mesquite and Balch Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalorama Triangle Historic District</span> Historic district in Washington, D.C., United States

The Kalorama Triangle Historic District is a mostly residential neighborhood and a historic district in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The entire Kalorama Triangle neighborhood was listed on the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites (DCIHS) and National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1987. In addition to individually listed landmarks in the neighborhood, the district is home to roughly 350 contributing properties. The neighborhood is roughly bounded by Connecticut Avenue to the west, Columbia Road to the east, and Calvert Street on the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakewood Heights, Dallas</span> Neighborhood in Dallas, Texas, USA

Lakewood Heights is a residential neighborhood in Dallas, Texas (USA), bounded by Abrams Road to the east, Monticello Avenue to the north, Skillman Street to the west, and Richmond Avenue to the south. It located in East Dallas. Lakewood Heights is approximately one-half mile (0.8 km) wide (east-west) and three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) long (north-south). It covers approximately 240 acres (97 ha) or slightly less than 0.375 square miles (0.97 km2). It is adjacent to several East Dallas neighborhoods, including Lakewood, Lower Greenville, and Wilshire Heights.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Peak's Suburban Addition | Preservation Dallas". www.preservationdallas.org. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  2. 1 2 3 "Neighboring Historic Districts". Friends of Buckner Park. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "History section". Peak's Suburban Addition Historic District Official Ordinance. Dallas, Texas: City of Dallas. 1995. p.  30-.
  4. "Landmark Peak Suburban home weathers the years". Lakewood/East Dallas. 1999-12-01. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  5. "On the street where you live..." Lakewood/East Dallas. 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  6. "Peak's Suburban Addition Historic District". dallascityhall.com. Retrieved 2016-10-28.