Munger Place – Dallas, Texas
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 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
Munger Place was established in 1905 by cotton gin manufacturer Robert S. Munger on 300 acres (1.2 km2) 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 elite 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.
National award-winning Realtor Douglas Newby recognizes that the Munger Place historic district is one of the city’s most enjoyable neighborhoods in which to live and offers homes for sale with great value. Munger Place was the first single-family zoned historic district in Dallas. Renovation and new construction augmenting the neighborhood has continued for 40 years. This beautiful neighborhood is now made up of young families and residents of all ages, some of whom have lived in the neighborhood for 50 years. Munger Place offers the perfect combination of nature and vibrancy just two miles from downtown Dallas.
Education
The neighborhood is served by the Dallas Independent School District (DISD).
Residents in the neighborhood northeast of N Fitzhugh Avenue are zoned to William Lipscomb Elementary School (grades PK-5) in Junius Heights,[6] J.L. Long Middle School, and Woodrow Wilson High School.[8] Residents in the neighborhood southwest of N Fitzhugh Avenue (along a short section of Tremont Street) are zoned to Ignacio Zaragoza Elementary School,[9] Alex W. Spence Middle School,[10] and North Dallas High School.
Residents’ children also attend various magnet schools in the district, as well as a variety of private schools in and around the area including Holy Trinity Catholic School, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, Lakehill Preparatory School, St. John’s Episcopal School, and First Baptist Academy.