Robert and Marie Stubbs House

Mississippi native Robert Campbell Stubbs (1869-1927) moved to Dallas in 1887 and established a paving business with his father, George W. Stubbs. In 1897, R. C. Stubbs married Marie M. Henke (d. 1957) of Berlin, Germany. Dallas' economic growth and the coming of the automobile age after the turn of the 20th century led to a great demand for Stubbs' expertise in modern paving techniques. By 1922, he had patented vibrolithic paving and was noted as one of the chief authorities on paving in the United States. His business success led to the construction of this house in the fashionable Swiss Avenue neighborhood. Completed in 1926, the Stubbs House may have been the work of Dallas architect Otto H. Lang. The design drew upon features of England's Tudor manor houses, a style popular in American residential architecture between World Wars I and II. Hallmark features of the style, including the steeply pitched roof, half-timbered gables, distinctive chimneys and low pointed-arch entry, are present in the house, which was home to Robert and Marie Stubbs and their two children. A separate two-story garage and staff quarters also reflects Tudor characteristics. Following R. C. Stubbs' death just one year after the house was completed, Marie continued to live and entertain here until 1940. The house subsequently was converted into apartments, but was returned to single-family use in the 1970s. Prominently sited at the head of Swiss Avenue, the Stubbs House is a significant part of Dallas' architectural history. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2001