There are historic homes, and then there are very important historic homes. This Stick-style Victorian home in Peak’s Suburban Addition is one of our most important. “It’s the only one left, to my knowledge, in Dallas,” Jim Anderson said.
Anderson should know. He was the Historic Preservation Officer for the City of Dallas for almost 26 years and now runs Jim Anderson Preservation and Design, specializing in historic preservation consulting. He also lives in Peak’s Suburban Addition and knows the owner of this beautiful Stick-style Victorian.
Peak’s Suburban Addition is the oldest residential neighborhood in Dallas and was granted a town charter in 1856. According to the neighborhood website, it began with a large estate built on the corner of Worth and Peak Streets by Colonel Jefferson Peak in 1855. He owned the land from Elm to Capital and Carroll to Haskell. Streets in the neighborhood are named for his children, Junius, Worth, Victor, and Carroll.
“There are a lot of one-of-a-kind homes in Peak’s Addition because it happened without planning in place,” Anderson said.
East Dallas was, for a short time, an independent entity with George Crutcher as its mayor for four years. There is some speculation that this Stick-style Victorian was his home. Crutcher was responsible for the city establishing a safe water supply, having a sound road system, and establishing an independent school district. In 1889, East Dallas was annexed by the City of Dallas.
In the late 1880s, there was a fire at the city records office, destroying records of the area. Fortunately, neighbors have passed down oral histories, so owners Sharon and LeRoy Mielke found out quite a lot about their home when they moved in.
The Mielkes had been living on Swiss Avenue for several years and had driven by this home regularly. LeRoy got interested in remodeling homes and was working with his banker, Noble Hurley, at what was then Swiss Avenue Bank. Hurley mentioned the bank had a home that was in bankruptcy, and it would be a great one to remodel. “It had become a boarding house during WWII, “Sharon said. So, there was a fire escape, and Mr. Hurley and LeRoy had to climb up it to get in a window and have a look around. It was quite a project, but my husband bought it!”
When the Mielkes moved into the home in 1980, neighbors related that the home had initially faced Gaston Avenue and had been moved, in 1924, on logs, pulled by horses to Carroll Avenue. Neighbors are also responsible for the information that it was built for Mayor Crutcher.
The Mielkes had a gentleman, John W. Howell, living with them for several years, who was researching the neighborhood for his thesis. His research backs up the home being moved from Gaston to Carroll.
Neighbors also dated the house to 1894, but that cannot be authenticated due to a fire destroying city records in the 1800s.
When the Mielkes moved into their Stick-style Victorian, it was in June of 1980. That summer was one of the most brutal on record, with 69 days of temperatures at or above 100. The Mielkes were undeterred. They installed fans and a couple of window units and got to work. What they lacked in experience, they made up for with enthusiasm and hard work.
At some point, they were lucky enough to encounter Davis Griffith Cox, who was a restoration specialist, historian, public speaker, and author. He guided the Mielkes on appropriate colors and suggested William Morris wallpapers for their 4,221 square-foot home. Sharon did not know the first thing about wallpapering, but every time she put it up, and it fell right back down, she simply kept at it until it stuck. “I finally got good at it,” Sharon said. They added bookcases and turned the original third-floor ballroom into another bedroom suite.
The Mielkes lived in their Stick-style Victorian for 45 years. Sharon was a journalist with the Methodist Reporter, and when she left that job, she helped her husband run an antique business, East Dallas Design. They raised three children here, and housed a niece, their elderly parents, workers, and the neighborhood researcher over the years. They also remodeled 17 other properties in the neighborhood. “We made good use of the house,” Sharon said.
Now it’s time for another family to make good use of this rare Stick-style Victorian home, remodel it to today’s standards, and even better, purchase some of the three surrounding parcels that are also on offer. That means you have an opportunity to combine two parcels or all of them, creating a total of approximately 0.75 acres, including the home site. The additional lots are offered separately and include 4419 Junius Street, 4411 Junius Street, and 801 N. Carroll Avenue.
Allie Beth Allman’s Deeanne Brock has this Stick style Victorian at 713 N. Carroll Ave. available for $550,000. Surrounding lots are priced separately, and I’ll add, very reasonably. If I were in the market, I’d scoop it all up in a hot minute!