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Stanley Marcus' Lakewood house, for decades the most glamorous residence in Dallas, may be torn down by the couple that once spurred efforts to preserve it.
The Lovvorn family has made some changes to the Marcus house, including painting the red-brick exterior and altering the entry, since buying it in 1994. From left are Janie, Tricia, Justin, Ben, Parris, Patty and Mark Lovvorn. The announcement by Dallas banker Mark Lovvorn, who bought the house from Mr. Marcus in 1994, brought a mixture of shock, surprise and anger from preservationists statewide.
But Mr. Lovvorn, chairman of Providence Bank of Texas, said restoring the house is economically impractical. He said he and his wife, Patty, intend to build a new house for their family on the 3-acre site. The Dallas Central Appraisal District has appraised the house and land at $1.8 million.
"Our family has always loved this house and appreciated the history of this house," he said. "That said, there are things we would like to do that you can't do with a house this size and this age."
Mr. Lovvorn sent a letter late last month to the Texas Historical Commission, notifying the agency that he intended to demolish the house, triggering a 60-day waiting period. The commission has since exercised its option to extend that period an extra 30 days and has asked to meet with the Lovvorns. Mr. Lovvorn said he would welcome the opportunity to discuss alternatives.
Beyond imposing a waiting period, the commission has no power to stop the demolition.
Jack A. Weil, a garter salesman, breezed into Denver in 1928 in a new Chrysler Roadster to start a new life. He exceeded his hopes and became a king of cowboy couture — almost certainly the first to put snaps on Western shirts (17 on a shirt), and most likely the first to produce bolo ties commercially. His Rockmount Ranch Wear Mfg. Company has sold millions of shirts, including at least one shipment to Antarctica, since it started in 1946. Clark Gable wore one in “The Misfits” with Marilyn Monroe, and Heath Ledger’s shirt in “Brokeback Mountain” — plaid fabric, diamond snaps and saw-tooth pockets — was Style No. 69-39.
A major figure in the modernist international style design movement, Eileen Gray (1878–1976) has only recently been given proper historical recognition for her revolutionary furniture and architecture. In this fascinating documentary profile, filmmaker Jörg Bundschuh tells how Gray abandoned the privilege of an aristocratic Irish-Scottish family to live a bohemian life in France, where she took lovers of both sexes, enjoyed fast cars, designed sleek tables and chairs and helped create one of the most famous houses of the 20th century.
Thursday August 14 at 9PM
Friday August 15 at 12:30PM
Friday August 22 at 6AM