People who restore historic homes don’t often make historically accurate choices when it comes to the interior. That is especially true of color. They seldom stick to the heritage interior paint schemes. In 2009, when this Winnetka Heights Prairie Four-Square was stripped to the studs and updated, the owner did his research and delved into historic hues. I hope this serves as an example for anyone purchasing a historic home, because the right colors enhance authenticity and add to the character and value of a home.
Winnetka Heights is one of those neighborhoods that embraces its history. It was designated a historic district in 1981 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. This beautiful Prairie Four-Square home is located in the southwest quadrant, which has some of the oldest properties in Winnetka Heights. Although records date it to 1918, it could well be older.
You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who knows more about the neighborhood than resident Diane Sherman. She’s one of a small handful of people who have given me an excellent education in historic preservation and is my go-to for anything historic in Oak Cliff. Fortunately, this Prairie Four-Square is her listing. She’s working it along with her son Vinnie and daughter-in-law Taryn, who make up the other two-thirds of the Sherman & Sherman Real Estate Team at Dave Perry-Miller.
Sherman dug into the home’s history, finding out it was probably built for Rev. Lewis B. Haskins. If you have lived in Dallas for a while, you will remember that Haskins’ son, known by his nickname Squire, was widely considered one of the best aerial photographers in the Southwest. Rev. Haskins helped establish the Mount Auburn, Greenville Avenue, and Trinity Heights Christian churches, and he was later pastor of Oak Cliff Christian Church…