Historic Tyler on Tour, 2008
The Allen Home
2729 Old Bullard Road
Designer Showcase
Historic Tyler on Tour 2008 is proud to feature the home of Dr. Eugene and Sarah Elizabeth (Tobin) Allen as the Designer Showcase home in 2008. The home has had only one owner, the Allens.
Located in the Fairmeadows Subdivision on Old Bullard Road where it was far enough on the outskirts of town that pastures and grazing cattle existed across the road, the home was built in 1949 for the Allens. Here, they reared two sons and two daughters.
The ranch style architecture with traditional styling was typical of that era. It was constructed the same year Bergfeld Center opened and the Whitehouse Dam was completed to create Lake Tyler.
Dr. Allen, a local dentist, touched the lives of many in the community. Serving on the Tyler Jr. College Board of Trustees for 33 years, he was instrumental in establishing the dental hygiene program on the campus. Because of his great love of tennis, Dr. Allen also was instrumental in beginning the Tennis Tech program and a varsity tennis team at TJC which in the ensuing years has won at least 20 national titles.
Upon Dr. Allen’s death, a Tyler Jr. College instructor, George Tefteller, was quoted as saying, “We played doubles for 25 years…we played every Thursday. Dr. Allen loved his family, loved TJC, loved his work and loved tennis.”
The one and one-half story home still has its original hardwood floors and fixtures including the original tile in the bathrooms. Some remodeling was done in the 1960s in the living and dining room, and the den was extended at that time. The playhouse built by Dr. Allen for the children still stands in the back yard.
Historic Tyler on Tour would like to thank the Allen family for allowing us to feature their parents’ home as the Designer Showcase in 2008.
