René Schmidt, a Junius Heights Historic District stalwart, has been chosen as the recipient of the Yard of the Month for December.

The site of many JHHD meetings, when pulling up to 715 Parkmont Street, attendees as well as passersby admire his immaculate yard and well placed seasonal color. In the fall, René plants pansies, and this year’s bed beams with cheery yellow blooms. Potted Mums sitting on his front porch add to the pleasing effect.

When René first moved to Dallas from Minnesota, he marveled at the pansies brightening up the yards of his neighbors, and has been enamored of them ever since. He says they make him happy. Together, René and his Yorkshire Terrier, Joe Blazer, enjoy the garden and the changing seasons at home and while on nature walks.

A stately Crepe Myrtle graces the front yard; its great height indicating that it was original to the house. Two large Oak trees shade the sidewalk.

A Dallas resident since 1996, when René purchased his house—a product of the Arts and Crafts movement—it was in poor condition. Recognizing it as a “gem in the rough,” René, a historian at heart, has spent considerable time and money restoring the home he calls a mix of “Swiss Chalet and Japanese Pagoda” to its present glory. A great deal of love (and scraping paint) went into the project.

René came to Dallas to attend SMU and UT for graduate work and stayed. He is a gifted musician, and serves as the organist and choir director at the Episcopal Church in the Bishop Arts District.

René has long been associated with Junius Heights. Indeed, he helped lead the drive that was instrumental in the formation of the neighborhood association. A past president, René currently serves as VP of the Zoning and Historic Committee. René is also an ardent devotee of the effort to preserve the Junius Heights streetcar.

Congratulations to René for beautifying and preserving the unique qualities of Junius Heights. It’s his dedication to the neighborhood that inspires others to join in celebrating its past, present, and future.