Flippen Homestead and the Founding of Highland Park
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
To fulfill his dream for an exclusive residential neighborhood north of Dallas, Col. John S. Armstrong in 1906 purchased 1,350 acres of land in this area, including the "Lomo Alto" Horse Farm, and secured the services of Beverly Hills' landscape architect Wilbur David Cook to lay out the suburb. Upon Armstrong's death in 1908, the Flippen-Prather Realty Co. continued plans for development of the neighborhood, which was named Highland Park (an erroneous English translation of "Lomo Alto"). In 1909, this horse farm was deeded to Armstrong's daughters, Minnie May Flippen and Johnetta Prather, each of whom was the spouse of a principal in the Flippen-Prather Realty Co. A coin was flipped to determine first choice for a homesite, and the Flippens won the toss. Dallas architect C. D. Hill designed a house for them based on George Washington's Mount Vernon. Completed in 1910, the house served as an example for attracting Dallas' elite to Highland Park. Although radically altered externally over the years, the basic Flippen homestead retains significance for its association with the founders of Highland Park and as a reflection of Dallas' early 20th-century growth. 1990
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1906, Col. John S. Armstrong bought 1,350 acres north of Dallas to build an exclusive suburb, hiring a Beverly Hills landscape architect to lay it out. After Armstrong's death, the Flippen-Prather Realty Co. carried on, and in 1909 the horse farm passed to his two daughters — the Flippens winning first choice of homesite by a coin toss. Their 1910 house, modeled on Mount Vernon, helped draw Dallas's elite to the new neighborhood of Highland Park.
Why it matters
The Flippen homestead marks the birth of one of America's early planned garden suburbs, reflecting the ambitions and rapid growth of early twentieth-century Dallas.
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Related people
- · John S. Armstrong
- · Minnie May Flippen
- · Johnetta Prather
- · Wilbur David Cook
Related events
- · Founding of Highland Park
Themes & tags
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