Wilson Block
Why it's listed
Six frame houses and their outbuildings make up this small Dallas district near the central business district, on the block bounded by Swiss Avenue, Oak Street, Floyd Street and Liberty Street. The largest, at 2922 Swiss Avenue, was designed in 1899 as the home of Fred and Henrietta Wilson. It is a Queen Anne house with a conical turret, many gables and dormers, and bands of patterned shingles. Three smaller houses on Swiss Avenue were built as rental property, and two small houses on Floyd Street probably served as servants' quarters. Together they share clapboard siding, hipped roofs, corbeled chimneys and classical porch details. The land lay in an area where La Reunion colonists and their descendants resettled, and Henrietta Wilson came from a colonist family. Fred Wilson was a Park Board member and civic leader. The nomination calls the group the most cohesive turn-of-the-century ensemble in Dallas. At the time of listing the houses were vacant, and one had been severely damaged by fire.
Significance in brief: The group is described as the most cohesive multi-structure collection of turn-of-the-century architecture in Dallas, mostly Queen Anne in style. It was built by Fred and Henrietta Wilson on land tied to the La Reunion colonists, and Fred Wilson was a Dallas civic leader. The houses are called some of the finest surviving Victorian architecture in the city.
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 78002919, listed December 15, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2902, 2906, 2910 and 2922 Swiss Ave., Dallas |
|---|---|
| County | Dallas County |
| Listed | December 15, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002919 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Built by Fred and Henrietta Wilson (Frederick P. Wilson) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne / Victorian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked as unoccupied and vacant on the form; a fire recently caused severe damage to 2907 Floyd Street, and the property was included in a development plan for new inner-city residences. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 32.78838, -96.78509 (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).
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 78002919.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q25339398
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.