Romine Avenue Historic District

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.