Neighborhoods

Lakewood Heights

The expansion and development of Dallas in the early 1920s allowed neighborhoods such as Lakewood Heights to become successful areas of construction. Lakewood Heights, located in the lushly wooded area of East Dallas, began its development in 1914 and was completed in 1940. Not far from downtown Dallas, it is bounded on the north by Monticello, on the east by Abrams Road, on the south by Richmond and on the west by Skillman.

Lakewood Heights was platted in 1914, and that same year Dan Sonnenthel Real Estate Company opened the addition and began selling the lots. But it was not until 1921 that purchases hit a high demand in Lakewood Heights, reflecting the post-war economic growth in Dallas and the desire of people to leave congested areas for more suburban neighborhoods. Today Lakewood Heights encompasses 900 houses, many built during the 1930s that are mainly one-story brick houses, usually Tudor, Spanish cottages or Craftsman bungalows. Lakewood Heights benefits from its location near White Rock Lake, Tietze Park, and Lower Greenville, as well as its accessibility to restaurants and shops along Live Oak and in the Lakewood Shopping Center.

Efforts to preserve historic Lakewood Heights have been spurred by a fear of losing the neighborhood’s original character and personality. What was once “a simple neighborhood of bungalows,” is now an area of teardowns for new construction of larger houses and was named one of Texas’ Most Endangered Places in February 2006. Houses being erected now are usually two stories with square footages double the original homes in Lakewood Heights. These tree-lined streets with houses that date back over 70 years are now considered an “interesting mix of housing opportunities” with the construction of larger and modern houses.

Works Cited:
Preservation Dallas. Neighborhood Survey References: Lakewood Heights. Dallas: 2006.
Langton, Elizabeth. Bigger isn’t better for some Neighborhoods. Dallas Morning News Historical Archives online.
Dallas:2006.EastDallas.com/Lakewood_Heights.cfm. Dallas: 26 July 2006.

Author: Laura Flores
Editor: Michael Hazel
Photographs by: Discover Dallas! Volunteers