Preservation Dallas has successfully led a number of efforts to preserve and protect our city’s historic landmarks. These achievements include:

Since its founding, Preservation Dallas, has worked with city leaders for legislation to assist in preservation efforts. In 1973, Preservation Dallas, then known as the Historic Preservation League, succeeded in persuading the City Council to adopt the Dallas Preservation Ordinance, the first in the city’s history.

Preservation Dallas worked with homeowners and citizens to designate Swiss Avenue as Dallas’ first historic district in 1973. The Swiss Avenue Historic District is one of the finest early twentieth century neighborhoods in the Southwest. Just two miles from downtown Dallas, the district has more than 100 homes with excellent examples of more than a dozen historical styles.

In 1994, a surface parking lot use permit was issued, creating significant risk to four important West End buildings. Preservation Dallas worked with the West End Association to successfully appeal the permit. This achievement led to the sale of the Awalt Buildings for adaptive reuse.

Preservation Dallas surveyed Fair Park in 1983 and successfully lobbied for landmark designation status. Fair Park’s complex constitutes the largest intact concentration of 1930s-era exposition buildings and public art remaining in the United States and is recognized as one of the most significant sites in the world for Art Deco architecture.

Preservation Dallas established the Historic House Specialist designation to help realtors market Dallas’ intown neighborhoods. The intensive, two-day seminar features an orientation to the Preservation Dallas Intown Living Center, with its displays and information on more than 160 intown neighborhoods. In 1998, Preservation Dallas certified the 223rd Historic House Specialist.

For three years, a coalition consisting of City Council members, Preservation Dallas, the Dallas Landmark Commission, developers and others worked to craft a new ordinance to better protect the city's historic landmarks and districts for future generations. In 2001, the Dallas City Council unanimously passed into law the ordinance, the first sweeping changes to the City's historic preservation ordinance in 26 years.