Dallas Modern Committee
Modern Outing #3 The Merritt Residence

On January 26, 2008, the Dallas Modern Committee was joined by friends and UTA professors for an intimate tour of the residence and garden located at 11535 Hillcrest. The Charles W. (Dale) Merritt Residence (1958) features the architectural design of O'Neil Ford and Associates of San Antonio, and the designs of Arthur and Marie Berger, Dallas landscape architects.

The Merritt Residence demonstrates Ford's ability to design a residence closely tied to its setting. The house rests on the banks of one of North Dallas' small meandering creeks. Ford’s architecture brings the landscape designed by Arthur and Marie Berger into the rooms via oversized windows and large wood framed sliding doors. Situated in what was originally an exclusively sylvan area, the Merritt Residence joined a growing number of modern houses built for young homeowners on extraordinary sites along Hillcrest and Forest Lane. This area of North Dallas offered opportunities for architects to design small houses with impressive attention to architectural details.

John Janik, the current owner and steward, was our host and primary tour guide. He was accompanied by Dianne Laurence, who recently completed her graduate thesis detailing the landscape designs of Arthur and Marie Berger and their symbiotic relationship with architect, O’Neil Ford.

Mr. Janik’s tour took us first through the garden, and then into the home through the private compartments and public areas. Notable Modern Regionalist design features included the discrete entrance, use of natural materials such as the soft Mexican buff brick exterior, horizontal wooden screens, and the large expanses of glass that blurred the interior with the exterior.

The event concluded with an intimate conversation between the owner, the tour guides and the attendees. Some of the visitors had met the architect, the landscape architects, or the architect of the addition. Warmed by a lit fireplace, a discussion ensued about this significant piece of the recent past.

The design and the setting prompted interest and enthusiasm for our mid-century Modern architects and landscape designers and afforded us a most rewarding experience for all those involved. Special thanks to homeowner John Janik for hosting an inspiring outing for the Modern Committee.

Dallas Modern Committee
Modern Outing #2 - The Rubel Residence

Our February Modern Outing was at the home of Joel Rubel at 7846 Yamini Drive. Joel Rubel, home owner, engineer, and wood craftsman was our host. Special thanks go to Joel Rubel for opening his home. We enjoyed wine from Barefoot Cellars.

The residence was built in 1956, with groundbreaking occurring during the rainstorm that broke the famous Dallas drought of the early 1950’s. Designed by former Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice, Gershon Canaan, the interiors were completed under the discriminating direction of Joel and his wife Sylvia. The late Sylvia Goidel Rubel was a Dallas born landscape architect. The inviting home has flagstone flooring in the entry and dining areas. The spacious kitchen boasts walnut cabinetry specifically designed to meet the needs of a very petite Sylvia Rubel. The resulting placement of cabinets allow for a clerestory to run the entire length of the kitchen filling the spacious area with light. Much of the furniture, most of it built in was crafted by Joel Rubel himself on the premises. Hallways are of mahogany paneling, bedrooms on the other hand feature redwood and more built in furniture. The original bathrooms are in excellent shape and display a creative use of tile. Throughout, it is quite evident that the Rubels were fastidious in their selection of materials and craftsmanship. They took great care in creating an environment that was and still is timeless, casual, yet very sophisticated. There are numerous details within the home and in the landscape that illustrate a level of creativity that was unique for the time.

About the architect Gershon Canaan: (Edited from a memoriam by Tillman Hein)
Gershon Canaan, born Gerhard Kohn, grew up in Friedenau, a small middle-class district in Berlin. The Kohn family fled Nazi Germany and settled in Palestine. There young Gerhard changed his name to Gershon Canaan and attended the Technicon in Haifa studying architecture. When the war arrived he volunteered for the “Jewish Brigade” of the British Armed Forces. He fought in both African and European theaters. After the war, the Jewish Brigade was instrumental in secretly helping concentration camp survivors and Jews who came out of hiding. These “displaced persons” were herded in camps mainly in Southern Germany. The Jewish Brigade assisted these individuals break the British Blockade of Palestine. Upon his discharge from the military, Mr. Canaan went to the United States to further his studies in architecture. He became an apprentice with Frank Lloyd Wright at Talieson West, a compound near Scottsdale, Arizona. Soon, military duty called again during the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948. Mr Canaan assumed the rank of Captain and fought for the survival of Israel. After that conflict, he returned to the United States and ultimately settled in Texas.

As his architecture practice thrived, Mr. Canaan found time to contemplate his religious roots as a Jew and his cultural roots as a German, and found them not mutually exclusive. Consequently, he set out to devote his life to promoting mutual understanding between Americans and Germans. He was a driving force behind the recreation of “German Day” during the State Fair of Texas. He was the founding President of the Dallas Goethe Center, an organization devoted to fostering German language and culture. He became the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, and for all of his accomplishments the German President bestowed upon him the Bundesverdienstkreuz. Gershon Canaan passed away in his sleep on June 28, 2002.

A victim of the darkest hours of German history, Mr. Canaan was an unlikely candidate to become a leader in the German community in Texas. But it may have been just that; Mr. Canaan saw that for peace to happen there needs to be an understanding between people. So, in overcoming the divide caused by recent history, Gershon Canaan became a giant of a man. He was a victim, a military hero, an architect of human relations, and a proponent of reconciliation and understanding.

Dallas Modern Committee
Modern Outing #1 - The Fix Residence

Preservation Dallas has recently been engaged with documenting a most unique Mid Century property in Preston Hollow. The home designed by Robert Perry and built in 1947, with landscaping by Arthur and Marie Berger. The home is full of furnishings by Paul Frankl, Robsjohn Gibbings, and Edward Wormley. With interiors by Neiman Marcus from the 1950s, it is Intact and has had few alterations. Unfortunately, it destined for demolition.

Dwayne Jones spoke with the daughter of the original owner and she was thrilled to be able to showcase the property to our committee. This represented an incredible opportunity for us to view the property, interiors, and original plans.

The daughter of the original owner, Barbara Fix, was our hostess. We enjoyed wine from Times Ten Cellars and hors d’oevres provided by Ms. Fix. All of us were able to roam freely throughout the house and view the original blueprints and landscape plans. Barbara provided a very animated tour of the home and recounted some very amusing stories of her childhood there. The residence shows some wear but must have been quite the place for entertaining in its day.