Jefferson Monument

Jefferson Monument

Jim Lake Co. is bringing new life to the Oak Cliff area with the revitalization of the Jefferson Tower.  The structure, originally known as the Medical Dental Building broke ground  in 1928 and celebrated its completion in 1929.  By the late 1900s, the tower and its surrounding shops became the center for commercial activity in down town Oak Cliff; residents near and far alike were able to easily access the commercial district as neighborhoods were in walking distance and the boulevard served as a thoroughfare for both vehicles and the elevated railway.

Prominent tenants in the ground floor retail spaces included Sears-Roebuck & Co., Fay’s Jewelers, Roland Ellis, and Standard Shoe Repair Co.  With the exception of Sear-Roebuck & Co., the aforementioned tenants served Oak Cliff for over 40 years, with Standard Shoe Repair Co leading the way as the building’s first tenant.

As in the days of old, Jefferson Tower will once again stand as a marker for economic activity for Oak Cliff – a monument to resilient residents, both now and then.

*For more information on this treasured, historic building, visit the Texas Historic Commission at http://www.thc.state.tx.us/, and choose Preserve and then Texas Historic Sites Atlas.  Enter the atlas and deselect all options except National Register properties and then choose Dallas County.  On page three, scroll to the Medical Dental Building and click National Register Listing.  At the bottom of the information summary, you should see the item “Narrative” with a link. Open the link and you will find the National Register Nomination with additional information.

 

[Photo Credit: http://www.gooakcliff.org/2013/06/jefferson-tower-block-to-be-revitalized/]