2800 Swiss Avenue

Beilharz House

The Beilharz House was built in 1896 by German stonemason Theodore Beilharz; Mrs. Beilharz was the older sister of Henrietta Wilson. Mr. Beilharz’s company provided masonry to such prominent North Texas structures as the Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie. Originally built on the lot diagonally across the street, the house was moved during the rehabilitation of the Wilson block. The house features a gambrel roof with a spreading main gable and arched openings, a bow window (similar to a bay window, but rounded) on one side and a low turret on the other. The front entryway is classical in its design, with ionic columns and a classical entablature over the door. While the house appears to have been influenced by the Shingle style, it may simply reflect Mr. Beilharz’s Germanic heritage, as he most likely designed the house himself. His background as a mason is evident in the limestone porch steps and rough-faced walls along Texas and Oak Streets. The columns on the front porch and those on the side are distinctly different, adding to the whimsical styling of the house. The Carriage House at the rear is original to the house.

Information courtesy of Preservation Dallas.