Neighborhoods

Cochran Heights

The residents of Cochran Heights consider it a “quaint and quiet neighborhood” in East Dallas. Bounded by Henderson Avenue on the north, Mission Street on the east, Lee Street on the south, and Pershing on the west, this neighborhood comprises 240 houses, many constructed by well-known Dallas architect Charles Stevens Dilbeck.

A former dairy on prairie land, Cochran Heights began its development in the late 1920s and saw its greatest construction from 1932 to 1940. Most houses were built on compact lots that are on average 1,000 square feet. Its houses include duplexes and cottages made of brick, stone, and wood, as well as several International-style houses rarely found in Dallas. In 1936 Dilbeck, known for his unconventional style and Eclecticism, designed 60 cottages including the International-style houses in Cochran Heights. Dilbeck’s houses are still intact on Davis and Milam Streets. In 1983 the Cochran Heights neighborhood association successfully lobbied to have the area re-zoned to single-family and has been active in restoring the areas original makeup.

Cochran Heights enjoys its own neighborhood stores and restaurants that can be found near North Central Expressway and Knox-Henderson. These include antique shops and cafes that are apart of the uniquenss of the neighborhood. In the past several years, Henderson Avenue, known for its casual charm, has become a trendier place to eat and drink and a popular nightlife scene, putting this neighborhood in the middle of a growing urban location. Besides being a dining and shopping district, the Cochran Heights neighborhood association has constructed Cochran Heights Park, recreated a crime watch program, and stays involved with neighborhood projects such as alley clean-ups and community yard sales to raise money. It is an eclectic neighborhood of small houses set within an urban atmosphere created by being minutes from downtown Dallas and the central business corridor.

Works Cited:
Preservation Dallas. Cochran Heights Survey. Dallas: June 2006.
Cochran Heights Neighborhood Association. Cochran Heights News. Dallas: 1999.
Historic Preservation League. A Guide to Older Neighborhoods of Dallas. June 2006. USA print: 1986.
Preservation Dallas. Homes of Charles Stevens Dilbeck: A Private Tour. Dallas. 1997.

Author: Laura Flores
Editor: Michael Hazel
Photographs by: Laura Flores