Almost century-old Dallas estate hits market for $2.5 million

One of the most well-known historic estates in Texas has hit the market.

Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate listed the home for $2.5 million, according to Candy’s Dirt. The French Eclectic home has only had two owners since its construction in 1929.

The man who built the home, Lester (L.H.) Lacy, began his career in 1907 when he joined the Cotton Belt Railroad’s engineering department after graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in civil engineering.

The interior views of the property (Preservation Dallas)

After applying his engineering expertise to shipbuilding in the great war, he settled in Dallas in 1919 and founded L.H. Lacy Co., a residential construction company. By 1930, the Lacy name was well-known in Texas commercial construction and highways.

Experienced in construction, Lacy collaborated with the most sought-after architects and created what is considered the most well-built estate in Texas.

At the time of its construction, the surrounding area was utterly underdeveloped. Dallas developer Albert Dines opened Westlake Park in May 1925. The region was marketed as “a natural park” with “hills, valleys, and winding avenues” and definitely “not an ordinary parcel of land cut up into square blocks and straight streets,” according to researcher Carol Roark for Preservation Dallas.

The interior views of the property (Preservation Dallas)

Tokalon Drive, where the home sits, was considered the “estate section” with slightly larger lots and restrictions requiring two story houses with slate or tile roofs. The street name was apparently taken from the Greek phrase “To kalon,” which meant highest or greatest beauty.

“Annexation to the City of Dallas took place at about the same time as the construction of the home, but the Lacy House apparently ‘beat’ annexation, as there is no building permit record for it. The City of Dallas voted to annex the White Rock area on December 1, 1929, and the neighborhoods became part of the City on January 1, 1930, just in time for the 1930 census,” according to the researcher.

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The Lacys and their three children lived in the home for 42 years. They were highly involved in the community. Researchers have found scores of newspaper clippings detailing teas, meetings, and parties that took place at the house during that time.

The interior views of the property (Preservation Dallas)

In 1972 they sold their home to Sandra and Herbert Steinbach, the current owners, who have treasured and preserved this stunning estate. In 2017, D Magazine readers named it one of the “Hands Down 10 Most Beautiful Homes in Dallas.”

The Lacy estate is such an essential part of Lakewood’s history that Preservation Dallas will be holding a members-only event there Thursday evening.

“It’s an incredible home,” Preservation Dallas Executive Director David Preziosi said. “It’s unusual with its exterior stone and Ludowici tile roof because you don’t see a lot of that in Lakewood, and the entrance and the turret with the balcony are so charming. The house is incredibly intact from when it was originally built. It has amazing trim detail and appliques over the wood. Even the colorful tile bathrooms are still there.”

[Candy’s Dirt] – Maddy Sperling