Swiss Avenue’s Aldredge House: Public asset or public nuisance?

Story by Keri Mitchell |

Photos

by Rasy Ran

The number of early 20th century Dallas homes in their original condition and open to the public can be counted on one hand. The Aldredge House is one of these, sitting on the corner of Swiss and Parkmont in the city’s first historic district.

It is the only residence among the historic mansions of Swiss Avenue that is nonresidential. Yet neighbors, who use the Aldredge House for meetings, have co-existed happily with their non-residential neighbor for more than four decades.

Until recently, that is, when this chummy relationship experienced a public falling out.

The Aldredge family gifted their home to the Dallas County Medical Society Auxiliary in 1973, the same year the Swiss Avenue

Historic District officially was recognized and became protected by the city. Since that time, the estate has played host to numerous nonprofit and educational gatherings, both for the auxiliary (now the alliance) and others. It also is a standing feature on the annual Mother’s Day home tour. And in more recent years, it has grown increasingly popular as a local wedding venue.

So popular, in fact, that in 2014, the Al- dredge house was rented out for 64 commercial events, including 48 weddings. It was enough to send six of the alliance’s closest neighbors past their breaking point. Late this summer, they formally complained to the city that they were tired of the late-night, boozy receptions with blaring music, firework send-offs and “other inappropriate behavior.” Essentially, they told the city, such disturbances “are not appropriate on this historic residential street.”

They wanted the Aldredge House, the only “nonconforming” use in residential Swiss Avenue, to start conforming to the rules.

Anyone can sympathize with the frustration of living next door to a party scene. Whether you live in a stately mansion on Swiss Avenue or a hip apartment on Lowest Greenville, everyone wants a little peace and quiet, not to mention a good night of sleep. There’s the familiar “you knew what you were moving next door to” argument, but it’s fair to say that the Aldredge House’s neighbors weren’t acquiescing to a frat house environment when they bought property near an almost century-old nonprofit.

On the face of things, it seems fairly cut and dry: The Aldredge House should forgo its raucous receptions and return to its days as a tea room for the high society women who run the alliance — at least, that’s what neighbors who filed the complaint have insinuated.