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Taylor adds. "People shy away from deed restrictions in the Park Cities because it's the land that is so increasingly valuable — not the houses." Deed restrictions can also be hard to enforce because there are no legal entities or volunteer groups willing to police them in the Park Cities. And real estate agents, who have a vested interest in selling houses, often discourage people from using them. Malee Helm talked to several different real estate agents before deciding to skip a deed restriction for her Dilbeck on University, she says. "I was told it was hard to sell a house when you do this," she offers. The Stainback Organization, a commercial real estate and brokerage company, purchased the house assuring her they planned to fix it up and lease it out, not tear it down. Helm kept the horsehead gate just in case. "It was shocking to see that crape myrtle come down, and it seems like they could have kept some of the wisteria," Helm laments. It's not clear what the future holds for one of Dilbeck's most cherished properties in the Park Cities. Asked for comment on this story, Kent Stainback, founder and CEO of The Stainback Organization, did not return multiple calls or emails. At the closing, Helm penned a handwritten note to the new owners, "letting them know how happy I was they were keeping this treasure intact, and honoring its legacy," she says. "It would break my heart if it were torn down. I have to hope it has fallen into good hands." houses that masons today might interpret as poorly done and try to clean up. Also If you're not careful, his style can be over-exaggerated." For Dilbeck, magic was in the details. One of his signature elements included the Dutch door, which he sometimes flipped upside down, "for whimsy and the unexpected," says architecture historian Jann Mackey, who frequently lectures on Dilbeck's work at SMU. He hired famed metal artisan Henry Potter to make wrought- iron door hardware and built monumental fireplaces with special hooks for cooking pots over a fire, just as they would have centuries ago. Leaded-glass windows were custom made. Warm materials and charming details made even his biggest, high-ceiling rooms feel cozy. The house on University includes many of Dilbeck's most recognizable signatures, but it also has unique elements that set it apart. Plaster ceiling beams and corbels in the downstairs living room are beautifully carved with oak leaves and acorns. The Dutch front door is accessed through an extraordinary slurried- brick and flagstone courtyard, reminiscent of an ancient stable. A stone staircase, which winds its way to the upper unit, has steps made from old railroad ties. "When you add all these details together, that's what gives his houses magic," says Mackey. W h a t c a n b e d o n e to protect houses like the one on University from being torn down? Homeowners living in Dallas can apply for landmark designation with the city or create deed restrictions that prevent them from being demolished by future owners. Tax incentives, such as what are offered to developers in downtown Dallas, are a great way to encourage preservation, says Katherine Seale, former president of Preservation Dallas, who happens to be restoring a Dilbeck in Preston Hollow. In the Park Cities, it's a whole different ball game. Landmark designations issued by the nonprofit Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society are essentially ceremonial. Houses get bronze plaques but no legal protection. "We have talked many times about how to put teeth into our landmark designations," says board member Taylor Armstrong, "but with no legal force behind them, the only thing we could come up with was a deed restriction." To make things easy, a lawyer for PCHPS drew up a sample deed restriction and offered it to homeowners. "We've had no takers so far," Top: Original details of the University Boulevard house include leaded-glass windows, fireplace, Dutch doors, and salvaged ceiling beams. Hardware and chandelier designed by artisan Henry Potter. Above: Porch windows of Ted Dealey's 1941 house in Westlake. Photo by Carolyn Brown. Below: The downstairs duplex on University with original details.