PRESERVATION

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Dallas has lost six Ju-Nel homes to demolition.  All have one thing in common - they were destroyed to make way for something bigger.  Let's find something else to tear down instead of architecturally significant homes from Rowley and Wilson.

White Rock Valley Ju-Nel homes are especially vulnerable.  In the last five years, sales prices of White Rock Valley single family homes have almost tripled from $450,000 to more than $1,232,000.  The current sales price per sqft is $312, +8% v LY.  Demolition is extensive and demand for new construction is strong.  Two of the three known demolished homes are located in White Rock Valley. 

Not lost, per-se, but no longer anything close to original is the Stanford & Betty Richards House in East Dallas as an example of how not to remodel a Ju-Nel.  Yes, that Stan Richards.  The 2019 Google Street view shows a gem of a house with unpainted brick and the likely original color scheme on the trim.  A 2019 remodel saw the complete sanitizing of any original hallmarks with the exception of the beams which were left uncovered and unpainted.  Every single brick, both inside and out was painted white, sadly, even the fireplace.  Any original flooring has either been demolished or by some miracle is underneath the now pervasive vinyl plank flooring.  

This Richards House example is not an outlier.  Both known and unknown Ju-Nel homes are being remodeled beyond recognition.

Christine Rogers has done more for Ju-Nel awareness and education than any other individual I can think of.  Her work brought Ju-Nel back into the mainstream of Dallas MCM architecture.  There is more work to be done.

Rowley and Wilson are not Wright, Neutra or Eichler.  But they are possibly the greatest Dallas MCM architects of their time.  Even the best Ju-Nel is not to be compared to the Mies Farnsworth House; Charles and Ray Eames Case Study No 8 House; Wright's Fallingwater or Martin House; Johnson's Glass House; Neutra's  Baily or Kaufmann Houses - you get the idea.  But, why shouldn't Dallas have Ju-Nel as our stamp on American MCM architecture?  And, why shouldn't we protect these examples for generations to come?

For many Ju-Nel treasures, there is still time.  Original or multi-generational owners have held their Ju-Nel homes for decades and while some updating would be normal, I would expect to find stunning original interiors that likely need some refreshing, but are still able to exemplify what Rowley and Wilson wanted the world to see.

My ultimate goal is to create awareness.  With more press about Ju-Nel in general, specifically Re-Discovered homes and stories about the original owners and their impressions of Ju-Nel, it is my hope this work  will help re-vitalize interest and preservation.