There is something about older, stately homes that just makes you feel like sitting down to a table full of food, carving the bird with an onyx-handled knife, and saying grace. I’m thankful this Georgian colonial-style Perry Heights estate was built for an old Dallas family, and they kept it in perfect condition.

Even though she is more than 50 years old — only her contractor knows for sure — 4420 Rawlins Ave. has had only three owners loving her every inch. Built in 1926 for the family of C.L. Dickerson, founder of Dallas Plumbing and after whom a few Dallas streets are named, the estate is located on a whopping two-thirds of a gorgeously treed acre in one of the most distinguished blocks of Rawlins.

I do not need to tell you how convenient this location is; Dallas Arts District, Klyde Warren Park and a kaleidoscope of entertainment are just seconds away. And while everyone around you will grow tired of living like a stacked sardine, you will have Dallas at your fingertips on nearly one acre.

You see, this house has something no other home in this part of town can offer: land. City covenants and restrictions prohibit lots in the area from being larger than one-half acre. That’s 8,712 square feet, about the size of a Hunters Glen mansion or a lot in Little Forest Hills.

This home will always give its owner the status of having the biggest, greenest lot on the block, because that Dickerson lot is grandfathered in, which means this: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a sound investment in Perry Heights as a serious landowner of possibly two lots.

The almost 4,500-square-foot residence has been thoughtfully updated, while maintaining the home’s historic charm. You will find exactly what you expect from a home built in the roaring ’20s: detail that money can no longer buy, such as exquisite crystal chandeliers, framed moldings, ornate ceilings, hand-painted murals — did you know they are making a comeback? — spacious formal gardens and pergola that seats 16.

Yet this home is all about life in 2013, with new windows; Duration exterior paint; great lighting for art; three updated full baths; two half baths; and a kitchen fit for Kent Rathbun, with top-of-the-line appliances, granite counters and custom cabinets. There is even a porte-cochère that once held real carriages.

The floor plan is classic, one that no architect can really improve, the one replicated all up and down Park Cities and Preston Hollow: center hall plan with traditional staircase, elegant living rooms flanking each side, light-filled study and spacious formal dining room — which is exactly what you need on Thanksgiving.

Like every classic home, the four bedrooms are all upstairs. There is not one but two master suites, each with an adjoining living area/study/playroom. Not to worry about the elderly or infirm; there is an elevator.

Wonder where to put your guests when they are full of turkey? Try the four-car carriage house in the back that has a gorgeously remodeled 1,200-square-foot apartment with a living room, kitchen, bedroom and full bath. Guest houses were popular in homes of the 1920s and ’30s and have saved many a marriage. They need a comeback.

Of course, to be flexible, the owners of this home are willing to sell part of the land, which is perfectly legal because of the half-acre zoning. So you could scoop up the 65-by-50 lot that comprises most of the lush, green grounds for a mere $250,000.

That would leave our Georgian angel on a 128-by-150 lot — not bad and still hefty for the area. With that move, this amazing home and grounds carry a price tag of $995,000. Or just keep the estate intact, as it has been for 50 years, at an amazing reduced price of $1,195,000.

Yes, Black Friday shopping started before Thanksgiving this year at 4420 Rawlins Ave.