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Welcome to the Heritage House

The Heritage House will be open for tours on Sunday, August 5, from 3pm-5pm with docent led tours at 3pm and 4pm.  On display will be wedding gowns spanning several decades.  The Heritage House is located at 303 South O’Connor and was built in 1912.  It is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.  Admission is free.

 

The Heritage House tours also include Mary’s Playhouse in the back garden area.  Originally built as a chicken coop, it was converted in the 1920’s as a playhouse for the young Mary Schulze.  Many toys, books, and items belonging to the Schulze children are displayed.

 

For additional information, visit www.irvingheritage.com or call 972-252-3838.  Group tours may be scheduled at alternate time.

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Estelle School--edited--M E Story taught 1925-1927 Estelle School

The Irving Heritage Society will host the dedication of two historical markers on Friday, June 22 for the Estelle Community and Harrington Cemetery.  Located at 4200 Valley View Road, the dedication will begin at 10am.  Parking is available on the grounds.   Lawn chairs are suggested as seating is limited.

 

The Estelle community was located on what is now largely DFW Airport property in western Irving.  The community evolved during the second half of the nineteenth century from scattered farms on the Grapevine Prairie.  At its height, the community had a steam cotton gin, two churches, a blacksmith shop, a school and a general store.  The city of Irving annexed the Estelle area in 1968.

 

Bryant and Ryan Harrington came to the Estelle area shortly after the Civil War.  The brothers amassed large land holdings on which they raised cattle and farmed.  In 1883, the Harringtons donated land for a community school and Masonic lodge and a two story frame building was built on the land.  In 1916, the community built a two-story brick schoolhouse on the same piece of land.

 

For additional information, contact the Irving Heritage Society at 972-252-3838.

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Historic Sowers Cemetery Celebrates 150 Years

June 9, 10am to Noon

The Sowers Cemetery Association is sponsoring the event located at 3101 W. Pioneer Drive in Irving. Mayor Rick Stopfer will present a proclamation and declare June 9th as Sowers Cemetery Day. Dan Matkin, Irving Mayor 1971-1977, will recognize the 45thanniversary of the first State Historical Marker in Irving dedicated at the cemetery in 1973. Former mayor, Bobby Joe Raper, will speak and conduct the opening prayer. There will be State recognition from the office of Representative, Rodney Anderson. There will be a plaque dedication acknowledging donors that made recent cemetery improvements possible. Representatives of historical families will speak and those with interred family will be recognized. The Sowers Community was established about 1861 and annexed into Irving in the mid 1950’s. First interments in the cemetery were in 1868.More details at www.sowerscemetery.org   or call 972-754-6547.

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Installation of Heritage Society new officers

Under the shade of the large tree in the front lawn of the Irving Heritage House, the Irving Heritage Society held their annual meeting with the election and installation of new officers on May 6. Current president Lea Bailey presided over the business meeting.   Marlene McDargh conducted the installation of the new officers.  That slate included:  President  – Philip Prince, President-Elect-Linda Shotwell, 1st Vice President (Membership) – Kitty Boyle, 2nd Vice President (Programs) – Jearlene Miller, 3rd Vice President (Projects) – Gary Westerman, Recording Secretary – Pam Engman, Corresponding Secretary-Shirley Smith, Treasurer – Anne Pfaff, Historian – Pamela Slaughter, and Parliamentarian – Lea Bailey.  Directors included:   Tim Fooks, Lee Mosty, Mark Murray, Imogene Rogers, Gary Schepf, Karen Jackson, and Corine Barberena.

 

Following the program, those in attendance enjoyed an ice cream social before tours of the Heritage House.  For more information about the Irving Heritage Society, visit www.irvingheritage.com or call 972-252-3838.

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Last year's final four teams

As part of the 11th Celebrating Irving:  The City and The Man annual program, the Irving Trivia contest will be held on Saturday, April 28th, at the West Library, 4444 West Rochelle, beginning at 9:30am.  Teams will compete for the coveted trophy of Irving Trivia and prizes will be awarded.  Refreshments will be served and the community is invited to participate as a team member or to enjoy the activities as the audience.   Craig Boleman will return as emcee of this lively event.  Last year’s winners were the La Cima Heritage Committee.

 

For a full calendar of events in April, visit www.irvingheritage.com or call 972-252-3838.

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Lyle Novinski

University of Dallas professor of art emeritus, Lyle Novinski, will present a lecture on Grant Wood and other artists of the Regionalist Movement on Thursday, April 26, at the Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur. Preceded by a gallery tour of Wood’s art work at 6:30pm, the lecture will be given in the Dupree Theater at 7:30pm.  Presented as part of the Celebrating Irving: The City and The Man series and in conjunction with the Irving Arts Center exhibit, the tour and talk are free and open to the public.

Emphasizing the work of Wood, Novinski’s talk also will encompass Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry and a few others of the Dallas connection to the Regionalist Movement.   It will discuss the relationships between the social, artistic and political forces that shaped the great popularity of the Movement.  The Regionalists focused their artistry on the heart and heartland of the America of the 30’s. Their work both reflected and influenced the culture of the time extending into our films, music, dance and architecture.

For more information, visit www.irvingheritage.com or call 972-252-3838.

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Grant Wood:  Colorful Reflections on the Veterans Memorial Window will be presented on Sunday, April 22, at 2:30pm in Suite 200 of the Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur.  Teri Van Dorston, Assistant Director of the Veterans Memorial Commission, will provide insights on Grant Wood’s stained glass masterpiece located in the Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  It is an illuminating and lasting tribute to Veterans of the six American wars from the Revolutionary War to World War I.  It stands 23 feet and 6 inches high with six life sized figures of private soldiers of these wars.   Original drawings by Grant Wood of two of the soldiers for the Memorial Window are part of the current exhibit at the Irving Arts Center Dupree Lobby.

 

Presented by the Celebrating Irving:  The City and The Man and the Irving Arts Center, the event is free and open to the public.  Refreshments will be served.  For more information on this free program, visit www.irvingheritage.com or call 972-252-3838. 

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American Gothic by Grant Wood

Celebrating Irving:  The City and The Man will begin a month of programs on Saturday, April 7, with the “Grant Wood Meets Irving Texas, Tableaux Vivants.”  It will be held at the Singley Auditorium, 4601 N. MacArthur and begins at 7pm.  Admission is free.  Door prizes awarded.

 

Singley drama and art students have created living pictures of some of the famous paintings by  artist Grant Wood.  This American artist is known around the world by his famous painting of American Gothic . Wood was a leader in the Regionalism style of painting with his images of the rolling hills, corn fields of Iowa, and painting landscapes and people that he knew so well.

 

For the complete month long schedule, visit www.irvingheritage.com or call 972-252-3838.  All events are free and open to the public.

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Welcome to the Heritage HOuse

The Irving Heritage House, located at 303 South O’Connor, will be open on Sunday, March 4, from 3pm to 5pm for the start of the 2018 first Sunday tours.  Admission is free and docent led tours are offered at 3pm and 4pm.  Built in 1912, this Recorded Texas Historic Landmark provides a glimpse of one of Irving’s early families and their home. 

 

In the garden area behind the Heritage House, the recently reconstructed Mary’s Playhouse will also be open for visitors during the same hours.  Originally built as a chicken coop, the building was adapted as a playhouse for the young Schulze daughter Mary in the 1920’s.  Toys, books and other treasures from Mary and her brother Charles are displayed.

 

For more information, visit www.irvingheritage.com or call 972-252-3838.  Group tours of the Heritage House and Mary’s Playhouse are available by special appointment at alternate times.

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Guests enjoy the tea table of treats from old recipes.

The silver is polished and the recipes are being double checked for the Irving Heritage Society 40th anniversary of the Valentine Tea of 1914 on Sunday, February 11 from 2pm-4pm at the Irving Heritage House, 303 South O’Connor. The Heritage Society was launched at the Valentine Tea in 1978 and charter members of the 40 year old organization will be honored.

 

The Irving Index newspaper article of Thursday, February 19, 1914, reported:

“Mr. and Mrs. Charles Percy Schulze threw open their beautiful new home Saturday evening to one hundred and fifty invited guests.  The housewarming was in the nature of a Valentine Party – the decorations and color scheme throughout being hearts, arrows and cupid in reds and yellows.”

 

The same description fits the upcoming event at the former Schulze home now called the Heritage House, as the Irving Heritage Society recreates that party of 1914 with their annual Vintage Valentine Tea.  The public is invited to share in this special event from 2pm-4pm.  Reservations are not required and admission is free. 

 

Just as in the 1914 article description, there will be strings of hearts from the chandeliers.  The lace draperies at the windows and the dining table will have festoons of hearts and arrows.  Kathy Howard, Judy Pierson, and Nancie Rissing are serving as co-chairs of this year’s event.

 

For more information, visit www.irvingheritage.com or call 972-252-3838.