The Early Houses - 1927 - 1931

The first three years of building in Greenway Parks saw the neighborhood take shape according to its original plan through the vision of a handful of talented architects, James Cheek, George Allen, Fonzie Robertson, Ralph Bryan and Clyde Greisenbeck.

James Cheek of the architectural firm Fooshee and Cheek designed Porter Lindsley's Arts and Crafts Tudor Revival style house (see photos on "the beginning" page). Ripple rock, stucco, and slate give it the romantic appeal of an English cottage.The firm was better known for developing the Spanish Colonial style throughout Dallas. Cheek's big break came in 1928 when he was hired by Hugh Prather to design Highland Park Village. The shopping center was a concept new to Dallas and he envisioned "The Village" as the premier shopping center in the Southwest along the lines of Kansas City's upscale Country Club Plaza, the difference between the two being that The Village would be built around automobile parking areas, whereas The Plaza had streets running through it with parking in lots and garages on the perimeter. Prather and Cheek traveled first to California and South Texas to research mission architecture and later to Spain to study Spanish colonial architecture before settling on the final design for Highland Park Village.

5359 Montrose Designed by Ralph Bryan and built by Dines and Kraft. for W.F. and Marie Rose in 1929.	5541 Nakoma This beautiful English Revival Arts and Crafts home was built as a spec house in 1929 by Fonzie Robertson and George Allen.

George Allen, Fonzie Robertson, C.H. Greisenbeck and Ralph Bryan all designed and built houses in Greenway Parks. They worked sometimes individually or in partnerships with one another and often lived in the most recently finished house while the next one was being built. This was the case with George Allen's first house, 5421 Drane, a prime location across from Stemmons Park and one of the original group built in 1927. Others built in 1927 were advertised as "demonstration" homes. All of the houses built between 1927 and 1931 clustered around Neola, the 5400 block of Drane (across from Stemmons Park), the 5500 block of Nakoma, the 5300 and 5500 blocks of Waneta, and the 5300 and 5400 blocks of Montrose.

5409 Drane was illustrated for an advertisement in the Dallas Morning News in 1927. It was George Allen's first residence; and according to the copy, it could be reproduced on any 75 ft. lot in Greenway Parks for $25,000 including the land.

A second Fooshee and Cheek home was built for C.L.Voss at 5422 Montrose - this one in their signature Spanish Colonial style. With its exterior stair, balcony supported by massive beams and red tile roof, it bears a close resemblance to the architecture of Highland Park Village.

In addition to the homes mentioned previously, George Allen built 5400 Montrose (1929 sale price $49,500), 5317 and 5322 Montrose (1930 sale price for each, $19,500) and 5323 Montrose (1931 sale price $18,500 or $30,000 furnished) and 5534 Nakoma (1929).

Fonzie Robertson built homes at 5446 Neola (1929) and 5409 Neola (1930). In partnership with George Allen he built 5541 Nakoma, 5423 Neola, and 5535 Waneta (all in 1929).

C.H. (Clyde) Greisenbeck homes include 5412 Neola (1930), 5525 Nakoma (1929), 5514 Waneta (1931), and 5316 Waneta in partnership with George Allen (1931). Clyde Greisenbeck, Jr., recalls that his family lived first in the Nakoma house, and then later in two other Greenway houses.

Ralph Bryan designed 5359 Montrose for W.F. and Marie Rose, built by Dines and Kraft in 1929. The Roses temporarily resided at the Dallas Country Club while their new home was being finished. Marie remained a Greenway resident until shortly before her death in 1992.

5533 Nakoma This Mediterranean revival house of steel construction used a relatively new building material in 1929.	5365 Montrose seen from the parkway entrance. This house was built by Dines and Craft about 1935.