David Williams is the grandfather of Texas Modern architecture. In the late 1920s, he traveled extensively in Europe admiring the modern masters. When he came back to Dallas, he desired to do for Texas what Frank Lloyd Wright did for the Midwest when he incorporated Texas Modernism in his Prairie style homes. David Williams' inspiration was the handcrafted pioneer homes indigenous to Texas. He himself was born in a sod home, so he understood the rugged individualism of Texas. He and his protégé, O'Neil Ford, would go on trips to sketch early Hill Country and pioneer houses. David Williams also did a lot of work in Mexico as the oil business developed there, setting up base camps and fulfilling other architectural needs. This is where his interest in Spanish Colonial architecture originated. You can see this influence on the Spanish Mediterranean home he designed in 1924 at 5929 St. Andrews and on the Loma Linda walls and gates that he also designed in 1924 found at Mockingbird Lane and Armstrong Parkway and Preston Road at Windsor Parkway. He continued to include this style for the more regional home he designed in 1926 for his brother at 700 Paulus. Artisans and architects, all were drawn to David Williams and his modest but vibrant office. "He was passionate about his work and would keep everyone in his office until 11 o'clock, take them all out for drinks afterward and then get thrown in jail for not having the money to pay for it all," recalls Patsy Swank. After he designed the home at 3805 McFarlin in 1933, he went to work for the Roosevelt administration developing planned communities and coordinating public works projects.