DFW Tours! Dallas Art and Fort Worth Art

Wilson Historic District, Swiss Avenue

3003 Swiss Ave.
Dallas, TX, 75204

The Meadows Foundation properties house about 30 non-profit organizations on a rent-free basis. The Meadows Foundation saw the potential of the Wilson Block as the nucleus for a unique campus of non-profit organizations. After restoring Wilson Block, the Meadows Foundation and the Historic Preservation League identified and moved endangered Victorian houses in other parts of town to an adjacent block of Swiss Avenue.

The Meadows Foundation also added building for meetings and other support facilities, and built a large new facility nearby to house its own operations.

Central Square Park was restored for the City of Dallas, and once again became a site for picnics and strollers. And, in 1993, the Historic Preservation League moved into the Wilson House and established the Preservation Center and Intown Living Center.

The Wilson Block consists of two blocks of Victorian architecture. Common characteristics include steeply pitched, irregularly shaped roofs and dominant front-facing gables. Textured wood shingles were used in conjunction with clapboard siding. Many of the houses have porches that are generally one story and commonly extend along one or more of the outside walls.

Queen Anne houses feature multicolored paint schemes. It was customary to use three or more different colors on the exterior of the houses to accentuate the elaborate trim work.

Originally, the rear of most of the houses had screened porches both up and downstairs. The upstairs porch was a sleeping porch – many Victorians believed in the beneficial effects of abundant fresh air. The back downstairs porch was an open space for household chores such as washing, ironing, and food preparation. All of the houses had cisterns on each porch.

Tour Information

Visitors are invited to take a self-guided tour or a 45 minute guided tour of the Wilson Block. The tour begins with an 11-minute video, “Echoes History of the Wilson Historic District” in the Wilson Carriage House near the Floyd Street parking lot. A guided tour around the two blocks of Victorian buildings follows. Please feel free to bring a sack lunch to enjoy in nearby Central Square Park.

Visitors may tour the Wilson Block Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tours are free and no appointment is necessary, however groups are encouraged to make advance reservations. For more information or to schedule a tour, call Preservation Dallas at (214) 821-3290.

- DFW Tours! What to See in Dallas and Fort Worth --

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