The Iconic Dallas Home of Art-Collecting and Philanthropic Duo Howard and Cindy Rachofsky is for Sale
The iconic Dallas home of art-collecting and philanthropic duo Howard and Cindy Rachofsky is for sale. The Preston Road property is being offered off-market and without a listing price, Howard Rachofsky told The Dallas Morning News. The listing is with Compass agent Faisal Halum, who declined to speak about the home Thursday morning.
“We decided now was as good a time as any,” said 81-year-old Howard Rachofsky, who spoke to The News via telephone from London. The couple said it was part of their estate planning. They plan to travel more and spend time at their property in Napa Valley. They also didn’t want to burden their children “with a house like that.”
Real Estate News
The couple’s decision to sell their home is a significant one, especially considering their long history of philanthropy and art collecting in Dallas. “We’re glad to be citizens of Dallas and intend to remain so,” Howard Rachofsky added.
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Cindy and Howard Rachofsky at a dinner by Thomas Keller, one of the events leading up to October 19’s final Two x Two gala, on September 26, 2024. Cindy Rachofsky, Howard Rachofsky (Bre Johnson/BFA.com / Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
The Home and Its History
Designed by architect Richard Meier, the nearly 10,000-square-foot home was the site of the Two x Two gala, a joint benefit for the Dallas Museum of Art and amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. Since 1999, the gala and art auction raised $120 million for AIDS research and the Dallas Art Museum. The final gala was held October 2024.
Most of the couple’s art and furniture were moved out so auction pieces could be installed on each of the home’s three stories. Past guests at the property include Hollywood celebrities like Sharon Stone and Alan Cumming. Dallas sports legends like Jerry Jones and Dirk Nowitzki have also graced the home.
Musical headliners at the outdoor shindig include Diana Ross, Ricky Martin and CeeLo Green. The event put the Dallas art scene on the map, and the house itself is an unusual work of art.
The Architecture and Design
Built in 1996, the home at 8605 Preston Road resembles a white minimalist structure on a coal-black pedestal. Former News architecture critic David Dillon wrote that Howard Rachofsky hired Meier after seeing his High Museum of Art in Atlanta in the mid-1980s.
The home took 10 years to finish, and during that time Howard’s art collection grew. He wanted to live among the art. The property featured no front stoop. The front door was a white panel without a handle or doorknob. The rear or west facade is virtually all glass. The home, at one point, also had the city’s only champagne vending machine, according to News archives.
Future Plans and Legacy
Howard Rachofsky once described the property as an art museum with a tiny apartment on top. An exclusive invitation viewing of the home was held earlier this week, reported Artnet.com. Howard Rachofsky said no offers have been made on the property.
The couple’s art collection has been promised to the Dallas Museum of Art. “We hope, for sure, that they will maintain it,” Cindy Rachofsky said of the future buyer. “But that they also use it, as we did … to better the community because it is a place that can offer that. I think that’s, for me, what I’m proudest of.”
The asking price for the home of the Colorado head coach and Dallas Cowboys star is $5.5 million, according to the listing
The Town Council OK’d a temple with a 120-foot spire, months after rejecting a design featuring a much taller steeple.
Conclusion
The sale of the Rachofsky home marks the end of an era for Dallas’s art and philanthropic community. As the couple looks to the future, they hope that their legacy will continue to inspire and support the city they love.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are the Rachofskys selling their home?
A: The Rachofskys are selling their home as part of their estate planning. They plan to travel more and spend time at their property in Napa
