The 1912 house built by J.P. Blake is itself structurally sound, but the porch reached a critical point by the end of the 2008, says neighbor Jan Doherty, who let me know this week that the porch’s "original glazed terracotta tile was removed, the entire wood structure is being dismantled and a new structure is being built."

The work, being done by Ballantyne Roofing Company (which has worked on many historic structures in Oak Cliff and the greater Dallas area) will be finished on Feb. 20, and between now and then, Turner House will be closed for rentals. Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts provided funds for the repairs, and the porch project is "part of the Society’s long range plan for completely restoring Turner House by its 100th anniversary in 2012," Doherty says.

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