Dallas Hall
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Why it's listed
Dallas Hall sits on a hilltop at the north end of Bishop Boulevard on the Southern Methodist University campus. Built between 1912 and 1915, it is a four-story red brick building with a central rotunda modeled on the Roman Pantheon, topped by a copper dome. East and west wings end in semi-circular Doric porticoes, and a front portico has six tall fluted columns with hand-carved limestone capitals. The Chicago-based firm Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge designed it, with Fred A. Jones Co. as contractor. It was the university's first building and, for its first decade, the only classroom facility. Dallas citizens financed it, and it was named in appreciation. President Robert S. Hyer envisioned a grand campus with a long mall instead of a traditional quadrangle, and he chose Neo-Georgian architecture before the style became prominent in Dallas. A 1970-71 renovation rebuilt the interior for classrooms, offices and an auditorium while leaving the exterior unchanged.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as the focal point of the university and its first building, funded by Dallas citizens' gift. It reflects founding president Robert S. Hyer's Beaux-Arts campus plan with a monumental building at the end of a long boulevard. It was an early Neo-Georgian design in Dallas, by a nationally prominent firm.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78002913, listed November 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Southern Methodist University campus, Dallas |
|---|---|
| County | Dallas County |
| Listed | November 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002913 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1912-1915 |
| Architect / builder | Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge (architects); Fred A. Jones Co. (general contractor) |
| Architectural style | Neo-Georgian (Georgian Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Excellent condition; still in academic and administrative use. Interior was renovated in 1970-71 with the exterior left unchanged. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.84524, -96.78488 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78002913.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16953984
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.