Fooshee and Cheek records

Between World Wars I and II, Marion Fooshee (1888-1956) and James Cheek (1895-1970) were two of Dallas' premier residential architects. Their eclectic houses are sprinkled throughout Dallas and in nearby towns such as Terrell and Tyler. Their best-known work is Highland Park Village, an exceptional complex of buildings that, in 1931 became the first self-contained shopping center in the country. In 1983 it was named one of the 20 outstanding buildings in Texas by TSA members.

Fooshee was born in Weatherford and grew up in Dallas. Instead of attending college, he apprenticed with Hal Thomson, who is best known for his eclectic mansions, many of which are on Swiss Avenue in Dallas. James Cheek was born in Hillsboro and studied architecture at the University of Texas at Austin before apprenticing with Thomson in 1918. He first began practicing with Fooshee about 1920 in Wichita Falls during the oil boom. By 1925, they had returned to Dallas and established a small, personal practice, working independently on residential commissions but collaborating on larger work. Their office was a Spanish-style building they remodeled at 1901 1/2 Harwood Street; it was used until the final days of the practice. Fooshee's daughter recalls that they maintained only one full-time employee, but occasionally hired others for larger commissions.

Virtually all of the work of Fooshee and Cheek is eclectic, typically with Spanish derivations. Undoubtedly, this was influenced by the extensive study of vernacular architecture in Spain, Mexico and southern California that preceded the design of Highland Park Village. Most of their known residential work is in Highland Park and University Park. This includes 4200 Beverly, 4304 and 4348 Overhill, 6767 and 6930 Turtle Creek, 6909 Vassar, and much of the 4400 block of Westway.

Their non-residential work is limited but interesting. At Fair Park in Dallas, they had a hand in the Hall of State and the Aquarium Building, and Cheek is credited with the United States Federal Exhibits Building. They also designed several motels. The Grande court Tourist Lodge on Zang Boulevard (1931) is a fine example of the picturesque charm exuded by many early motor courts. A Spanish-inspired gas station, for Magnolia Petroleum Co., was a further contribution to American roadside architecture.

After Fooshee's death in 1956, Cheek continued to practice until his retirement in the mid-60s. Their office stood vacant for several years until it was razed in the 1980s to make way for Edward Larrabee Barnes' Dallas Museum of Art.

-Duncan T. Fulton

-From "Texas 50." Texas Architect (Nov./Dec. 1989): p. 52.