The wooden fence used to temporarily replace the mural on Forest Lane. (Photo from e-Bay)
Now you, too, can own your own piece of Preston Hollow history.
The mural painted by W.T. White High School students has added color to Forest Lane since 1976, although not all neighbors appreciate its psychedelic design. Glen Meadows neighbor Brent Herling got frustrated by the lack of progress after a pick-up truck barreled into the painted wall that he and other neighborhood volunteers spent hours restoring after it was marred by graffiti. For months, the hole in the wall sat there with exposed rebar. According to city code, it is the homeowner, Danny Scott’s, responsibility to fix the wall. Scott has never responded to media queries, but Councilwoman Jennifer Staubach Gates says that he is cooperating with the city’s requests.
“It took so long because he was waiting on an insurance payment,” Gates says. “The city understands that and wants to work with him. The goal is compliance.”
Herling, however, wanted to see the mural restored, so he and some other volunteers built a wooden fence on the property and began painting again, which led to a police encounter when friends of the homeowner (who was out of town) tried to stop them. Despite that, Herling finished the mural on the wood fence, and has now put it up for sale on e-Bay, with a current bid of $132. Entitled “50 foot of the famous 1976 Forest Lane Mural painting painted on wooden fence,” the ad states: “8-foot wooden fence sections formally used to cover a damaged area painted to replicate the original missing art along the Forest Lane Mural in Dallas, Texas. Display this recreation of the original art from W.T. White students in 1976. Free local pick up.”
The wooden fence came down when work on the permanent replacement wall began this week. Herling says he plans to repaint the wall once it’s completed. Scott has previously said on Nextdoor that he will block efforts to restore the mural. Herling says a 1967 document deeding the wall to the county makes it public property. Gates says that she has largely left it in the hands of the neighborhood association, who seem supportive of efforts to restore the mural.
“It’s never fun when you get put between feuding neighbors,” Gates says. “The neighbors do seem to like [the mural].”
