Munger Place Historic District, Dallas

The Munger Place Historic District is a neighborhood and historic district in Old East Dallas, Texas (USA), generally lying between North Fitzhugh Avenue on the southwest, Gaston Avenue on the northwest, Henderson Avenue on the northeast, and Columbia Avenue on the southeast. Detailed boundaries are defined in the Munger Place Ordinance. It is a Dallas Landmark District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.HistoryMunger Place was established in 1905 by cotton gin manufacturer Robert Munger on 300acre as one of Dallas's first suburbs, and was originally intended to be one of the most exclusive communities in the city. To attract the "right" social element, Munger Place was carefully planned. Just minutes from downtown Dallas by carriage, Munger Place became the very first deed-restricted neighborhood in Texas. Homes had to be a full two stories, cost at least US$2,000 and no house could face a side street. The infrastructure featured such amenities as sidewalks, paved streets, shade trees, sewers, gas mains, and electric street lights. Many of the Dallas' leading businessmen and social elite soon called magnificent Munger Place home.The Great Depression led many of the community's mansions to be converted into multi-family housing. The neighborhood lost its elitist cachet, and by the 1960s many of the nicer houses in the area had been torn down or condemned. Starting in the 1970s, however, Munger Place began to be rediscovered, as enterprising individuals recognized the historic architecture (particularly Prairie Style) and large spaces behind the neighborhood's dilapidated veneer.