Facebook
X
Pinterest
Copy Link
Lakewood history. Designed for real life.
Some homes become part of a neighborhood. 6826 Lakeshore Drive was here at the beginning of this part of it.
The first home built in this section of Lakewood, the property has something unusually tangible to connect it to that history: an original October 21, 1936 letter from Dines & Kraft regarding the conveyance of 6826 Lakeshore Drive to Jacob Metzger.
Today, the house carries both that early Dallas history and the imprint of nearly three decades of stewardship by its current owners, an architect and an interior designer.
But the best explanation of this house isn’t found in an old document or a set of specifications.
It’s in the life that happened here.
At a Glance
Take the Tour
Why We Have Loved Living Here
We moved here nearly 30 years ago when I was pregnant with our second child. At the time, we thought we were choosing a house for our growing family. We didn’t know how completely this home—and Lakewood—would become part of our story.
One of the things I have always loved most is the way the house flows. We have hosted large holiday gatherings here for years, and there is always room for everyone without the house feeling crowded. People move naturally between the kitchen, living areas and outdoor spaces, so even with a full house, everyone still feels connected.
The kitchen has always been at the center of that. Our family cooks together, and the kitchen and adjoining living area make that easy. Some people can be cooking while everyone else gathers nearby, which means no one disappears into the kitchen while the rest of the family is somewhere else. It has always felt like one shared space.
I have always called the kitchen window my “window to the world.” So much of everyday life has happened in and around that room.
The backyard has evolved right along with our family.
When our children were little, they would cover the pavement with chalk drawings and spend hours in the pool. Our big patio was where they rode toys, finger-painted and played basketball. It felt like our whole life was contained right there—swimming, playing, eating and being together at home. The pool still has the holes in place for a removable safety fence, so a future owner could add one if they wanted that extra layer of protection.
As the years changed, so did the way we used the space. The same backyard that was perfect for small children became just as good for entertaining. Now it is a place for people to gather around the pool, spend long afternoons outside and move easily between the house and the backyard.
The landscape grew with us, too. Every tree now on the property was planted by us after the older trees had to be removed because of age.
The property is beautifully divided into two outdoor zones: the pool and entertaining area on one side, and a secure dog area with the “doggy condo” plus open green space on the other. That second side can flex for pets, play, gardening or simply a little breathing room.
There is space for everyone.
Inside, one upstairs bedroom became a family milestone of its own. The fourth bedroom has its own private en-suite bath and two closets, and everyone waited for the day they got to move into it. In our family, getting that room meant you had officially “arrived.”
We are an architect and an interior designer, so we have always appreciated the way this house reveals itself over time. The two staircases, plaster walls, the back route near the laundry and the primary sitting room that was once a sun porch all give the house character. More importantly, those details contribute to how well the house actually lives.
The house has also been a labor of love. As our family grew, we expanded it, adding bedrooms and bathrooms above the existing downstairs living room. We designed the addition to feel as though it belonged to the original house rather than competing with it. Every bathroom has been renovated. The primary suite evolved with us as well: the primary bath remained in its original location but was expanded, gutted and completely renovated. What had originally been the primary bedroom and bath became the current primary closet, bath and workout/sitting area, and we connected an adjacent bedroom to create the primary bedroom we use today.
And then there is Lakewood.
Being so close to White Rock Lake has always been part of daily life here. The lake, the trails, the trees and the familiar streets become part of your routine without you really noticing it.
Our children walked to school, rode their bikes and played with friends throughout the neighborhood. We walked, ran and biked at White Rock Lake, spent time at Williamson Park when they were small and loved having Lakewood Country Club so close by.
Scallini’s and The Heights became neighborhood favorites.
The Lakewood Fourth of July Parade is one of our favorite traditions, and we think this is one of the best places to enjoy it. It became both a neighborhood favorite and a family favorite—one of those days when everyone is outside and you feel exactly why people become so attached to Lakewood. Halloween feels much the same way. On those two holidays especially, it seems like the whole neighborhood is outside.
Most of all, we will miss our neighbors. After nearly 30 years, they are not simply the people who live nearby. They are part of the life we built here, and leaving them will be one of the hardest parts.
We raised our three children here. We cooked together, filled the house for holidays, watched them spend summers in the pool, saw the backyard change with each stage of life and became part of a community we love.
This house gave us room for all of it. And that is what made it home.
The History Behind 6826 Lakeshore
The home’s provenance deserves its own chapter because it is specific to this address.
The original October 21, 1936 Dines & Kraft letter names both Jacob Metzger and 6826 Lakeshore Drive, documenting the property’s conveyance to the family who became its first owners.
That connects the house to two important strands of Dallas history.
Albert Dines and Lee R. Kraft were Dallas developers whose company was instrumental in developing much of Lakewood west of White Rock Lake. The City of Dallas Office of Historic Preservation notes that Dines & Kraft built many of the area’s early homes and later developed the Lakewood Shopping Center.
The Metzger family brought its own Dallas legacy. Historical sources identify Jacob Metzger with the family behind Metzger Dairies, one of the city’s major retail milk distributors for decades. Dallas historical research notes that Metzger Dairies was using glass milk bottles in Dallas as early as 1906.
That makes the letter more than an interesting artifact. It creates a direct documentary link between the early development of Lakewood, a prominent Dallas dairy family and this specific house.
Stewardship Behind the Architecture
A house with this much history also comes with a responsibility to maintain what buyers can’t see.
The current owners have two HVAC systems. Both have been serviced regularly by Buckheit Plumbing & HVAC, and the upstairs system was replaced in May 2026. The downstairs system was replaced approximately five years ago.
The home also has two gas tankless water heaters, one in the attic and one on the exterior. The exterior unit was replaced approximately two years ago, and Buckheit also services the water heaters.
The electrical panel has been updated, and all of the home’s cast-iron plumbing has been secured with pipe sleeve.
The pool predates the current ownership and was resurfaced around 2010. The filter is approximately five years old, Liquidus Pool Service maintains the pool, and the panel for the robot cleaner was replaced approximately a month ago.
These improvements don’t change the character of the house. They help protect its ability to keep functioning as a home for the next owner.
Living in Lakewood
The sellers have already told you what Lakewood has meant to them. The broader context helps explain why the neighborhood continues to attract buyers.
White Rock Lake is one of East Dallas’ defining amenities, connecting Lakewood to miles of outdoor recreation, trails and open space.
What distinguishes Lakewood, however, is the combination: established residential architecture, mature streets, a strong neighborhood identity and proximity to White Rock Lake while remaining close to central Dallas.
6826 Lakeshore doesn’t simply sit in that environment. Its history is part of it.
Explore the Location
Our Perspective
When we evaluate an established luxury property, we look closely at what a buyer could readily reproduce—and what they could not.
Finishes can be changed. Kitchens can be renovated. Even pools can be added.
What is far harder to recreate is a 73′ × 130′ site in established Lakewood, documented provenance reaching back to the neighborhood’s early development, nearly 4,000 square feet of living space and decades of thoughtful stewardship by owners who understood architecture.
That is where we see the lasting value of 6826 Lakeshore.
Luxury in an established neighborhood isn’t about making an older home behave like new construction. It is about recognizing the things that deserve to survive, improving the things that need to perform better, and understanding why the result has value in its particular place.
That’s the story we believe this house tells.
Experience 6826 Lakeshore Drive
If you are considering Lakewood, White Rock Lake or another established East Dallas neighborhood, we would be happy to help you understand how 6826 Lakeshore fits within the market and what makes it different from other luxury properties in this part of Dallas.
Nancy Wilson and Karen Cuskey-Hartman
Live Local Group | Coldwell Banker Realty
Nancy Wilson and Karen Cuskey-Hartman
Live Local Group | Coldwell Banker Realty
Nancy Wilson and Karen Cuskey-Hartman are East Dallas residents and luxury real estate agents with the Live Local Group at Coldwell Banker Realty, bringing more than 50 years of combined real estate experience to Dallas buyers and sellers.
Their connection to East Dallas is deeply personal. Nancy raised her children in Lakewood, where they attended school with the sellers’ children, and Karen has called East Dallas home for decades. Both are actively involved in the communities they serve and have built strong networks of neighbors, business owners and trusted local professionals.
Nancy’s appraisal background brings a disciplined valuation perspective, while Karen’s former career as an advertising-agency owner brings a strategic marketing lens to how a property is positioned and presented. Together, they offer the kind of local knowledge that goes far beyond real estate—whether someone needs help finding a home or simply the right person to call.
That sense of connection is part of what makes East Dallas feel like a small town within a big city, and it reflects the spirit of the Live Local Group: we live here, and we give here.
