When I got a tip that a Dilbeck Rambling Ranch was hitting the market after almost 20 years, I was not prepared for it. At all. It has details that I was unfamiliar with and features I have never seen. In fact, I was not completely convinced it was a Dilbeck at all, but the owner had the deed, and Dilbeck’s name is clearly on it. I wanted to know more.
I called up Willis Winters, who is working on the final chapters of the ultimate reference tome on Dilbeck right now. He patiently went through the house photo by photo with me, and my education on Dilbeck grew exponentially.
“There are no drawings on the house, but in 2001, the owner sent me a letter with his Dallas County deed research, proving Dilbeck to be the architect,” Winters said. “He found the deed of trust to the builder George Trojack, who granted an interest to Charles Dilbeck. It was filed on June 2, 1952, to secure payment of a promissory note to Charles Dilbeck.”
Because it was built as a spec home, along with his hallmark features, Dilbeck could try some new ideas in the 3,848-square-foot Ranch house. The features we always identify with Dilbeck, like the diamond-shaped lattice on the outdoor screen walls and doors, are present. The family room ceiling is also representative of Dilbeck’s whimsical attitude towards design. The ceiling planks were installed at alternating angles instead of parallel to the beams. He created four-foot-wide folding doors between the family room and what is now the game room, with panels in the center showcasing a decorative circle design.
One of the features that always tells us we are looking at a Dilbeck design is the fireplace. But that was one of the things that confused me. And it’s because at the beginning of the 1950s, we see his transition to a more contemporary style as shown here. While the fireplace is still a generous size, it has more contemporary styling. Winters also noted that the rafter tails are straight, not the gentle curve you see on 99% of his houses. That also indicates his move into a more contemporary style.
Some details often used in his French Norman designs also made it into this Dilbeck Rambling Ranch, like the shallow arched windows you see above the wall dividing the family and game rooms, and in the dining room. What we don’t see, however, is the expected four-foot square panels with moldings in the dining room ceiling and any ceiling treatments in secondary bedrooms. Winters speculated that these ceilings may have been plastered over at some point.
What is not typical are the majority of the windows. Just have a look at those in the dining room.
“Dilbeck’s work is starting to reflect pervasive modernism in the early 1950s,” Winters said. “At some point, his work shifted from ranch to modern. This window pattern starts to show up at this time and they were typically metal windows with casement windows opening to the outside.”
I’d never seen rounded wooden bathroom cabinets like this before. However, Winters assured me those, along with the geometric curved wood detailing on the cabinetry, the tile color, and the louvered hallway door with curved molding, are all hallmarks of a Dilbeck Rambling Ranch. It’s a tribute that the families who have owned the property that this bathroom was left intact because, although it’s truly a time capsule, it still functions beautifully.
The current owners did not add square footage but did remodel the primary suite and the kitchen area, making it more conducive to modern needs. They also added a pool and a 1,000-square-foot detached workshop that is plumbed.
“This house is a good example of Dilbeck’s transition in the early ’50s from southwestern Ranch style to a Ranch style starting to reflect the influences of modern architecture,” Winters said…