University Park" loading="eager" / fetchpriority="high" decoding="async">1936 Georgian Fireplace Rebuild — Lovers Lane, University Park
Texas Service Experts — DFW chimney & fireplace specialists. Free inspection, written quote, no surprise fees.
Meta
Title (60ch): 1936 Georgian Fireplace Rebuild — University Park | TSE Meta Description (150ch): A fluted Georgian mantel and overmantel rebuilt from period photographs after a 1970s remodel removed the original detail. Marble slip restored, firebox re-proportioned.—
1936 Georgian Fireplace Rebuild — Lovers Lane, University Park
When the original mantel is gone, the period photographs are the brief
The house was built in 1936 on a Lovers Lane lot in University Park. It is a fully fledged Georgian — symmetric facade, side-gabled roof, dentil cornice, six-over-six windows. The principal-room fireplace was originally specified, drawn, and built in matching Georgian detail with a fluted mantel and a proper overmantel running to the cornice. Then, sometime in the early 1970s, the original mantel was removed during a renovation and replaced with a flat oak surround.
The current owners had bought the house knowing the surround was wrong for it. They had also been given, by the previous owners, an envelope of black-and-white photographs from the 1940s showing the principal room as it had been built. The fireplace was visible in three of the photographs.
The photographs were the brief.
—
The problem
A surviving period photograph is a useful reference. It is not a working drawing. We could see the basic mantel profile, the location of the fluting, the proportion of the marble slip, and the relationship of the overmantel to the room’s cornice. We could not see — without measurement — the depth of the mantel shelf, the precise rise of the fluting, the section profile of the moldings, or the stone of the slip.
The other problem was the firebox. The 1970s remodel had not just changed the mantel — it had also reduced the firebox opening, presumably to fit a smaller insert. The opening had been bricked in by about four inches on each side and three inches at the head. From a Georgian-correctness standpoint, the firebox was reading too tall and too narrow.
The work, then, was twofold. Rebuild the mantel and overmantel from photographs and educated reconstruction. Restore the firebox opening to its original proportions.
—
The work
Documentary research. We spent two days with the homeowners going through the photographs and through a small library of pattern books and architectural references for 1930s Dallas Georgian work. The reference base was strong enough to commit to a section profile, a fluting rise, and a mantel-to-overmantel relationship that would be defensible as historically appropriate. Mantel and overmantel. The replacement was milled in a Texas hardwood shop we have used for over fifteen years, in poplar primed for paint to match the existing room trim. The fluted pilasters were turned, the dentil course was hand-cut, and the overmantel panel was sized to terminate at the cornice line as the photographs showed. Dry-fit was done on a Saturday; final installation, scribing, and caulk-set was a single day. Firebox restoration. The infill brick from the 1970s was removed, exposing the original 1936 firebox shape. The original Cordova Cream surround stones were intact behind the infill. The firebox was cleaned, the original damper was tested and found functional, and the smoke chamber was parged with refractory mortar to current code. Marble slip. The original slip had been removed during the 1970s remodel and lost. We sourced a Carrara slip in the period-correct dimensions, hand-finished to match a low-sheen polish appropriate to the era, and set it with the mantel. Flue. A Level 2 inspection">Level 2 inspection had been completed before we started. The flue was sound; no reline was required. The system was returned to working condition for wood burning, as the owners had requested.—
Materials
- Poplar mantel and overmantel, primed for paint
- Carrara marble slip, low-sheen finish
- Original Cordova Cream surround stones (existing, restored)
- Refractory mortar
- Original 1936 cast-iron damper (restored)
—
Timeline
Eight weeks from contract to commissioning. Documentary research and design lock took the first two weeks; mantel milling took three weeks running parallel with firebox infill removal; installation was one week; commissioning and final paint were the eighth.
—
Outcome
The room reads, by the homeowners’ assessment and by the photographs, as it would have in 1942. The mantel is appropriate to the period and the architecture; the overmantel terminates correctly; the firebox proportions are right. The fireplace has been used through two winters since commissioning without incident.
The homeowners have said, separately, that the room “feels finished” for the first time since they have owned the house. That is the language we listen for at project close.
—
Project credits
Contractor of record: Texas Service Experts Millwork: Texas hardwood shop — long-term partner Documentary research: Owner’s archive plus TSE in-houseThe interior designer of record on the larger home renovation has been credited on a separate page at the firm’s request. Cross-reference is available on request.
—
Adjacent work
For other pre-war restorations, see the Highland Park Tudor restoration, the Devonshire pre-war firebox rebuild, or the Lakewood Spanish Eclectic mantel restoration.
Return to the main portfolio index or browse the University Park area page.
To discuss your own pre-war fireplace project, reach our design team at 214-444-8094.
—
“`json
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “Article”,
“headline”: “1936 Georgian Fireplace Rebuild — Lovers Lane, University Park”,
“url”: “https://texasserviceexperts.com/portfolio/university-park-georgian-fireplace-rebuild/”,
“datePublished”: “2026-05-08”,
“author”: {“@type”: “Person”, “name”: “Yuval Ben-Rashi”},
“publisher”: {“@type”: “ProfessionalService”, “name”: “Texas Service Experts”, “telephone”: “+1-☎ 214-444-8094”}
}
“`
Our Sister Companies — Specialists in Related Services
Texas Service Experts is part of a network of CSIA-certified chimney specialists. Depending on your specific need:
- Space Fireplace Services — luxury fireplace installation