Members of the nonprofit Preservation Park Cities organization say the demolition of an Italian Renaissance mansion marks a significant loss for North Texas's architectural history.
Large construction equipment was on the site at 4101 Beverly Drive on Friday, continuing to tear down the mansion.
According to PPC, the mansion was built in 1912 and represented Dallas's most prominent example of Gilded Age architecture.
Craig Melde is a preservation architect and a longtime resident of Highland Park, which is part of Preservation Park Cities.
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"It's a huge loss to the community," Melde said. "It's sad because of its historic significance."
According to the Alexander Architectural Archives at the University of Texas Libraries, the mansion was designed by the Hubbell and Greene architectural firm for A.T. and Rose Youree Lloyd.
Melde said most neighbors knew it as the Cox mansion, which prominent Dallas businessman Edwin L. Cox owned until his death in 2020.
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Dallas billionaire Andy Beal purchased the mansion for a reported $41 million in 2021 with stated plans to renovate it.
Requests for comment from Beal's office were not immediately returned.
"We were encouraged when we heard there was going to be a renovation," Melde said.
No historic preservation ordinances exist in the Park Cities, meaning private property owners can preserve a historic structure or tear it down and start over.
By contrast, the city of Dallas does have a Landmark Commission that has helped designate historic districts, including Swiss Avenue, Munger Place, and Winnetka Heights, allowing for preservation.
In 2021, real estate agent Douglas Newby told our content partners at The Dallas Morning News that the Beverly and Preston location served as "the epicenter of Highland Park."
Melde said he is all for homeowners making their own decisions on their property but hoped the mansion's loss would serve as momentum to protect structures of architectural importance that are seen as assets for the entire community.
"It was kind of all our landmark in a way; even though we weren’t in the building, we passed by it; it was a significant place," Melde said.
