Photos courtesy of Georgann F. Lieb and Janice Wolff.

Homes in Preston Hollow have changed over the decades. Some older, smaller houses are being sold, torn down and replaced with modern structures that span the whole lot. But some remain. 

As residents move and the environment shifts, it’s helpful to know what the neighborhood used to look and be like. Here are some descriptions straight from people who lived there. 

Prestonshire Lane

Georgann “Gee” Finberg Lieb moved to Preston Hollow from Highland Park in 1951, when she was 4 years old. From the house they built on Prestonshire Lane, Lieb says she could almost see to Hillcrest and Walnut Hill because there were so few homes. By the time she was a student at Preston Hollow Elementary, the population of the neighborhood had grown, and there were houses on every lot.

Her house was pretty typical for the time and area, she says. It was a one-story house with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large backyard with patio and a fenced area for their dog. There were cosmetic variations among the nearby homes, with different bricks and colors, but structurally, they were all about the same. 

Lieb’s family also employed a maid, who had a one-room annex with a kitchenette by the garage.

They sold the house after Lieb’s father died in 1976, but it still stands. 

“It doesn’t look a lot different, although the landscaping is definitely different and the color of the brick is different,” she says. “Otherwise, it looks a lot the same.”

Chevy Chase Avenue

“I live in the original house where we lived until I was seven. My parents kept it and leased it out and now I have come full circle. I’m one of the few remaining original houses on Chevy Chase.” 

— Janice Wolff 

Tulip Lane 

“My folks bought our home at 6539 Tulip Lane in 1958 for $38,500. It was between Thackery and Tibbs. I went to George B. Dealey for my seventh-grade year and then to Franklin and Hillcrest.

My great uncle Fred Florence donated the property on the Northeast corner of Hillcrest and Northwest Highway that abuts the Hillcrest Memorial Gardens for Temple Emanu-El to build the synagogue. We began attending temple after its completion in 1956.

My mother and brother (my father passed in 1985) lived in the house until October 1995 and upon her passing, I inherited the home. My husband and I moved from Arlington (after some remodeling) in September 1996. We lived there until May 2017. 

We married in the backyard of that home in 1969, and for our 50th anniversary, the gentleman who bought our home, tore it down and rebuilt a modern abode in its place allowed our family to go in and take photos of the yard where we married. I miss the location, but still have the memories, and I do not miss the taxes.” 

— Hope Wolins Levine (edited for brevity) 

Norway Road

“I grew up on Waggoner until 1959 when my parents bought a house on Norway for $27,000. The house backed up to St. Mark’s, so we did a lot of exploring in and around the school. I loved playing in the culverts and big field. We never had central AC, so I grew up sleeping with a fan … still sleep with a fan! Finally got window units in my teens. There were lots of kids in the neighborhood, so we formed a club called Club No. 9. We collected dues and performed plays at Headmaster Hartmann’s house since his daughter was part of the club.

My mom could whistle so loud with her pinkie fingers you could hear it for blocks. We knew to come home when we heard that whistle. We sold the house in 2009 (made a pretty good profit, too.… Ha!) and of course, it was torn down to build a McMansion.” 

— Pam Bayless (edited for brevity)