Lakewood castle returns to market, but at a discount

A Lakewood home that was once home to a Dallas mayor returned to the market in February.

The home, called Chateau des Grotteaux — which means House of Caves in French — is back on the market with a $200,000 price cut.

The chateau, at 6941 Gaston Ave., first entered the market in September 2025 after a significant expansion more than doubled its square footage. But the listing was taken down at the start of February before it returned Feb. 6, according to Zillow.

New paperwork was filed to continue the search for a new buyer, said Alysee Compton, the property’s listing agent. The Lakewood home had been listed at about $6 million by Stewart-Rose Properties, but Compton said on Wednesday that the price dropped to $5.8 million.

D-FW Real Estate News

Behind iron gates, the residential castle has twin turrets, an expansive driveway and a “secret garden” started by former Dallas Mayor Robert Lee (“R.L.”) Thornton.

“As soon as you enter those gates, it’s a secret garden and it’s terraced,” Compton said.

Chateau des Grotteaux

The home includes six bedrooms, four baths and two half baths along with offices, family... View Gallery

The residential castle looks significantly different than the last time it was on the market. Originally, the home included about 3,200 square feet of space. Following an expansion, the home now sits at over 7,500 square feet.

It includes six bedrooms, four baths and two half baths along with offices, family rooms and dining rooms. The expansion added a garage, a master suite, two other bedrooms, a kitchen, a living space and several bathrooms, along with a basement with a wine room and an open bar area.

The home dates back to 1927, when construction first started on the residential castle. The home was completed after it was purchased by Thornton, Compton said.

Thornton and his family lived in the house until the 1970’s. The namesake of a south Dallas freeway, Thornton was a banker and mayor of Dallas from 1953 to 1961.

He is remembered as “Mr. Dallas” for promoting civic projects like the Forney Dam and public buildings like a new city hall and library. Thornton was once president of the State Fair of Texas, having served from 1945 to 1960.

Following Thornton’s ownership, the home was listed for sale in the 1990s for about $850,000 and later in 2006 for $965,000, according to a Dallas Morning News article marking another listing in 2018.

The home’s owner at the time, Michael Fahey, was working to restore the grounds and home.

The property is now owned by Chateau des Grotteaux LLC, which is operated by Ellen and George Smith, according to the Dallas County Appraisal District and state records.

The appraisal district placed the home’s value at about $3.6 million for tax purposes.

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