Ryan Place Honors

George E. Kessler (1862-1923) was a landscape architect of the early 20th century. Born in Germany and raised in Dallas, he was like John Ryan an advocate of the City Beautiful Movement. He was also famous. He designed the St. Louis Worlds Fair (1900-1904), Dallas Fair Park (1907), the Dallas Comprehensive Plan (1911), Dallas Highland Park (1916, Camp Bowie Boulevard (1918), and Ryan Place Community Design (date unknown). The date of the Ryan Place plan was probably no later than 1911 when the John C. Ryan Land Company started advertising the double row of trees and magnificent marble entrance. Hallmarks of Kessler's work included the use of monuments as focal points (the massive gates at College and 8th Avenue), rows of trees flanking the streets, terraced yards, and strict construction setbacks to create a flow of open space that combined both the public parkway and private yards into a park-like expanse of green.