Tenth Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Tenth Street Historic District occupies a hilly, roughly triangular area at the southeastern edge of Oak Cliff in Dallas, high on the west bank of the Trinity River. Most of its 261 properties, 210 of them contributing, are small wood-frame houses built between 1890 and the early 1940s, including shotgun, L-plan, pyramidal-roof and bungalow types. Landmarks include the Gothic Revival Elizabeth Chapel, the Classical Revival Greater Bethel Baptist Church, Harllee School, a two-story commercial building at 102 Cliff, and the Oak Cliff Cemetery, which covers about one-sixth of the district. The area was platted in 1890 by T.L. Marsalis and the Dallas Land & Loan Company. It is recognized as Oak Cliff's most important African American neighborhood, with residents such as carpenter and contractor Noah Penn, for whom Noah Street is named. Few comparable Black neighborhoods survive in Dallas, and demolition has been a greater threat to this one than alteration.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Oak Cliff's most important African American neighborhood, significant locally under Criterion A in Ethnic Heritage (Black). Its vernacular buildings are a tangible link to an often overlooked part of Dallas history, and few historic African American neighborhoods survive in Dallas with comparable integrity. Oak Cliff Cemetery is included under a Criterion D exception.
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 94000604, listed June 17, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by E. Clarendon Dr., S. Fleming Ave., I-35E, E. 8th St. and the E end of Church, E. 9th and Plum Sts., Dallas |
|---|---|
| County | Dallas County |
| Listed | June 17, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000604 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1890-1944 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular: two-room, shotgun, L-plan, pyramidal roof, one-part commercial block; Classical Revival; Gothic Revival; Bungalow |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Many buildings show some deterioration but retain historic character; Elizabeth Chapel A.M.E. Church is described as now vacant, and demolition has left many vacant lots. |
| Acreage | 85 |
| Coordinates | 32.74786, -96.80487 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 94000604.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q109999683
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.