{"nrhp_refnum":"95000333","name":"Romine Avenue Historic District","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"2300--2400 blocks of Romine Ave., N side","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dallas","county":"Dallas County","state":"TX","lat":32.759036625500045,"lon":-96.76520683765072,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1995-03-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Black","Community Planning and Development"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A row of 17 one-story brick and stone houses on the north side of the 2300-2400 blocks of Romine Avenue in South Dallas, Texas, between Octavia and Latimer streets. Most were built about 1928-1940 by McElveen and Sowell, Inc., in a Tudor Revival-inspired style.","why_significant":"The district is argued to be significant under Criterion A for Ethnic Heritage (Black) and Community Planning and Development, and under Criterion C for Architecture, all at the local level. The houses were built for African Americans during segregation, were larger and costlier than those in nearby neighborhoods, and were occupied by prominent Black professionals. Their brick and stone exteriors, Tudor Revival details and limited alterations set them apart as an elite enclave.","narrative":"Romine Avenue in South Dallas holds a row of seventeen one-story houses faced in brick and stone, with Tudor Revival touches such as intricate chimneys, steep multiple gables and arched windows. Built mostly around 1928 to 1940 by McElveen and Sowell, Inc., a firm whose president also headed a finance company, the houses were sold exclusively to African American buyers. They were larger and far more valuable than homes in nearby Black neighborhoods such as Wheatley Place; 1936-37 tax values averaged about $1,600 per house. Original owners included a high school principal, an attorney and a teacher. The street drew professional and business families, some displaced by central-city slum clearance, at a time when white property owners and city institutions were pushing to segregate South Dallas. Fourteen houses retain enough original character to contribute to the district, while three were altered by enclosed porches. The street is recognized for its Black heritage, its role in neighborhood development and its cohesive architecture.","period_of_significance":"1928-1945","architect_builder":"McElveen, Daniel; McElveen & Sowell, Inc.","architectural_style":"Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Tudor Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Historic and current use is single-family dwellings; 14 of 17 houses are contributing, and three are noncontributing because of enclosed porches.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:24.045735-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/28/9687/40968728/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/95000333.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95000333/5955c67004-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/95000333/5955c67004-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RomineAve1_(1_of_1).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Renelibrary</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RomineAve1_(1_of_1).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40968728","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q109999675"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/dallas-county/romine-avenue-historic-district-95000333/"}