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Historic Highland Park estate hits the market for first time in over a century

The home features chevron-patterned hardwood floors and multi-pane, floor-to-ceiling windows.

Photo courtesy of Allie Beth Allman and Associates

The opportunity to live on almost two acres in the heart of Highland Park seldom comes along because people tend to hang onto these large estates. Once in a great while, a large family property hits the market, and some lucky buyer hits the jackpot.

For the first time in over a century, the historic Highland Park gated estate at 4009 Armstrong Ave. is for sale. You have probably passed by the home thousands of times and have never noticed it. That’s by design, and it’s one of the major attractions of the property.

“The privacy is amazing because you can’t see another house,” Allie Beth Allman listing agent Christine McKenny said. “The property is positioned between Turtle Creek and Hackberry Creek and offers incredible privacy for Highland Park. You don’t have a lot of opportunity for a Highland Park gated estate.”

Judge Nelson Phillips moved to the property in 1906. He was appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas in 1912 and sold the estate to William Ott Connor in 1913. Connor was the first elected mayor of Highland Park. The house has remained in Connor’s family for over a century.

Leadership runs deep in this family. Connor’s father was a mayor in Corinth, Mississippi, and his brother was the Dallas mayor from 1887 to 1894. Prior to public service, W.O. Connor was the chairman of the board of Republic National Bank in 1920.

Connor built the present home in 1941, and he built it big, even by today’s standards. At 8,331 square feet, it must have blown folks away back then.

It’s clear no expense was spared. A custom wrought-iron balustrade frames the front entry, veranda, and rear balcony. Marble flooring and a spectacular staircase grace the foyer. Chevron-patterned hardwood floors and multi-pane, floor-to-ceiling windows were as essential to a Highland Park estate in 1941 as they are today.

There are five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a powder bath, library, den, and upstairs living area. What’s astonishing is how much a home of this age checks off so many of the boxes we see as essential for current construction.

Although we hate to see historic homes razed — and indeed this property is in great shape and could be enlarged and further renovated — we all know the value of this property is in the land. Still, wouldn’t it be nice to find a buyer that valued the history?

If walls could only talk.

McKenny has the property listed for $18 million. An open house is scheduled from 1-2:30 pm Sunday, November 12.

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A version of this story originally was published on Candy's Dirt.

Traditional in appeal, the home's hallmark is the custom wrought-iron balustrade framing the front entry and veranda.

Photo courtesy of Allie Beth Allman and Associates

Traditional in appeal, the home's hallmark is the custom wrought-iron balustrade framing the front entry and veranda.

home-for-sale

Made-for-TV listing

Chip and Joanna Gaines put fixed-up Waco mansion on market for $7.4M

Facebook/Magnolia Realty

A Waco mansion fixed up for TV by Chip and Joanna Gaines is on the market for $7.4 million.

A Waco estate that will star in Chip and Joanna Gaines’ latest TV series, Fixer Upper: Chip Bought a Mansion, has gone on the market for $7.4 million.

The more than 14,000-square-foot mansion sits on a 5.7-acre site at 5305 Hillcrest Dr. that boasts views of Lake Waco. The listing, held by Amanda Nesbitt of the Gaineses’ Magnolia Realty, says the home “will be thoughtfully reimagined to reveal a timeless, more neutral-leaning palette for a future owner.”

Listing photos show the pre-renovation state of the mansion.

The European-style mansion, featuring a red-brick and cast-stone façade, looks similar to luxury homes you’d find in Preston Hollow, Highland Park, and other high-end neighborhoods in the Dallas area.

A light-filled, two-story foyer with a floating staircase and ornate iron banisters greets visitors, as do parquet flooring and stately columns.

Gaines Waco mansion The mansion foyer before the renovation.Facebook/Magnolia Realty

Venturing into the six-year-old home, you’ll find six bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. The first-floor primary suite offers two bathrooms, several closets, and courtyard access. A guest suite comes with a bedroom, bathroom, living area, kitchenette, and private entrance.

Amenities include:

$\u200bGaines Fixer Upper mansion$

Facebook/Magnolia Realty

A Waco mansion fixed up for TV by Chip and Joanna Gaines is on the market for $7.4 million.

Private study
Billiard room
Media room
Wet bar
Wine cellar
Butler’s pantry
Gym with a steam shower

Outside, several covered porches, an outdoor kitchen, an infinity-edge pool, and a pond let residents and visitors soak up nature. A motor court and four garage bays provide ample space for parking.

As part of the Fixer Upper renovations, the home’s architectural details, such as trim, moldings, and millwork, “will be preserved and elevated in order for their craftsmanship to shine,” the listing says.

Gaines Waco mansion The mansion has a splendid view of Lake Waco.Facebook/Magnolia Realty

Meanwhile, the kitchen will be turned into the “central heart” of the mansion, according to the listing.

“Additional design refinements throughout the home will set an elegant, renewed vision for all that Hawkesdene Estate will become,” the listing says.

Fixer Upper: Chip Bought a Mansion, a six-episode series, is scheduled to debut Dec. 27 on the Gaineses’ Magnolia Network and HGTV. New episodes will be available to stream the next day on HBO Max, according to TV Insider.

Chip purchased the mansion three years ago as an investment property, People magazine reported. The series follows the Gaineses as they confront budget challenges and a three-month deadline to sell the property.

“This will be the biggest fixer we’ve ever done,” Joanna says in a clip from the show.

Chip and Joanna recently sold a 136-year-old Waco castle that served as the foundation of another series, Fixer Upper: Welcome Home – The Castle. They listed 6,176-square-foot Cottonland Castle at nearly $2.7 million. The sale price wasn’t disclosed.

chip and joanna fixer upper hgtv luxury mansion texas waco home-for-sale

Love This Listing

Historic Highland Park estate hits the market for first time in over a century

Traditional in appeal, the home's hallmark is the custom wrought-iron balustrade framing the front entry and veranda.

Made-for-TV listing

Chip and Joanna Gaines put fixed-up Waco mansion on market for $7.4M

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