The Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts: A Century of Cultural Preservation

The Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts, based in the historic Turner House (formerly the E. P. Turner Clubhouse), was founded in February 1926 by nineteen Oak Cliff women, including Adella Kelsey Turner (Mrs. E. P. Turner), in the original Oak Cliff studio of renowned artist Frank Reaugh. In addition to promoting the arts and historic preservation, the society was a part of the garden club movement of the early twentieth century—it planted flower gardens and undertook other civic beautification efforts throughout Oak Cliff—and is one of the Dallas area's oldest philanthropic organizations. The society’s first objective was establishing a new studio home for Reaugh, and it hosted the formal opening of his El Sibil studio in Oak Cliff in 1929.

Henrietta Grafa Horton (Mrs. Dwight F. Horton) served as the society’s first president, but she was soon succeeded by Turner, who served until her death in 1938. Membership rose to 600 during the Great Depression. The Junior Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts and the Daughters Auxiliary of the Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts were formed in 1933 and 1942, respectively. In its early years, the society met at the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce, the Oak Cliff Dallas Commercial Association’s auditorium, and the Oak Cliff YMCA. Following Turner’s death, her sons deeded her home on South Marsalis Avenue to the society for use as a permanent headquarters. It was named the E. P. Turner Clubhouse in honor of her longtime dedication to the society.

The society’s current headquarters was built in 1912 in a modified Prairie Foursquare architectural style by John Phillip Blake, one of the developers—along with Leslie A. Stemmons, Thomas S. Miller, and Roman S. Waldron—of the Winnetka Heights area of Oak Cliff. Winnetka Heights is now one of Dallas's largest residential historic districts, and the district is noted for its large concentration of intact Craftsman and Prairie style homes. Blake was president of the Columbia Conservatory of Music. He and his family enjoyed hosting musical events and lavish lawn parties and opulently entertained a young Oak Cliff through 1917. The house and grounds then went through a series of owners and modifications, including serving as a boarding house during World War II and as the Oak Cliff Lutheran Church sanctuary beginning in 1948. The society became the new owner and conservator of the house and grounds in May 1957 after the loss of their former Oak Cliff clubhouse to the construction of Interstate 35 East. The new house was also named the E. P. Turner Clubhouse.

By 2000 membership in the society had plummeted to just twelve, and the house had fallen into disrepair and was in danger of being sold with no plan to save it. To increase membership, men were admitted as members for the first time, and in 2001 a board of directors was organized, which adopted the mission of restoring the building, renamed Turner House the following year. Through the works of the society and local preservationists, the house was saved from an unknown fate and today survives at 401 North Rosemont Avenue. It is one of two of the original four houses in Winnetka Heights still standing.

During its roughly 100-year history, the society has held art exhibits in various Oak Cliff venues and featured such artists as Alexandre Hogue, Charles Bowling, Frank Klepper, Jerry Bywaters, Otis Dozier, William Lester, Reveau Bassett, Florence McClung, Jessie Davis, E. G. Eisenlohr, Vivian Aunspaugh, and Olin Travis. The society continues to maintain and display a collection of artworks and to host events. The society primarily features early Texas artists (those who lived and worked more than forty years ago). Since 2013 its Rising Star art exhibits feature artists who are nominated by prominent Dallas-Fort Worth galleries and who have had limited exposure but show exceptional professional promise. These exhibits have included such later-recognized artists as Spencer Evans, Riley Holloway, and Rebecca Shewmaker. The society is also known for its annual Salon Series programs, celebrating music, the visual arts, theater, dance, history, and architecture.

In 2012 the Dallas County Commissioners Court honored the 100th anniversary of Turner House with an official proclamation. In 2013 the society was the recipient of the Stewardship Award from Preservation Dallas, the premier preservation organization in Dallas. The award recognized the society’s long-term commitment to the preservation of its historic building. Celebrating its 100th birthday in 2026, the society continues to enhance the cultural and artistic quality of Oak Cliff and Dallas.