Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

Montgomery St. Antique Mall


  • Please log in to reply
22 replies to this topic

#1 earlbutkus

earlbutkus

    Junior Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 36 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Benbrook
  • Interests:Local history and historic sites

Posted 09 March 2015 - 11:43 AM

I don't know if there is already a thread on this subject, but does anyone know about the history of this building? My earliest recollection is that is was a Ben Hogan/AMF golf club factory.



#2 Mark S

Mark S

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 75 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Wedgwood
  • Interests:Web Development, Linux, History, Antiques

Posted 01 December 2015 - 07:28 PM

I don't know if there is already a thread on this subject, but does anyone know about the history of this building? My earliest recollection is that is was a Ben Hogan/AMF golf club factory.

I was a dealer at MSAM for five years, and I found from the owner and manager that it was originally some sort of warehouse or regional distribution center for Frigidaire. Apparently there was retail sales as well, accessed from the Montgomery St. entrance. There were also offices located inside that were located along the southwest corner of the building. (those rooms are still intact, and are now rented to dealers) There is also a room, near the coke machine, that was once used as a vault. That room holds a dealers wares today, and you'll know when you find it because it's eerily soundproof!  After Frigidaire it became Ben Hogan, and after that it sat empty for a time before becoming the mall. If you're at the main north counter of the mall you can see, behind the counter, a couple of 8x10 photos of the building when it was Frigidaire.



#3 John T Roberts

John T Roberts

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 16,367 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:South Fort Worth
  • Interests:Architecture, Photography, Bicycling, Historic Preservation

Posted 01 December 2015 - 08:21 PM

Since the UTA Library has added so many photos to their website, I decided to search for "Frigidaire", and that search showed a number of photographs.  I'm providing a link to one of them.  The building was designed by Preston M. Geren.  I vaguely remember when it was Frigidaire.

 

http://library.uta.e...793d0bf222c.jpg



#4 Mark S

Mark S

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 75 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Wedgwood
  • Interests:Web Development, Linux, History, Antiques

Posted 01 December 2015 - 08:43 PM

Since the UTA Library has added so many photos to their website, I decided to search for "Frigidaire", and that search showed a number of photographs.  I'm providing a link to one of them.  The building was designed by Preston M. Geren.  I vaguely remember when it was Frigidaire.

 

http://library.uta.e...793d0bf222c.jpg

Marvelous photo! What I find interesting is the building visible to the north of the Frigidaire bldg. (on the left) Any idea what that was? In recent years that lot was a Lockheed facility, but it was torn down about a year ago. (the building visible in this shot is a completely different structure from the Lockheed building)



#5 John T Roberts

John T Roberts

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 16,367 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:South Fort Worth
  • Interests:Architecture, Photography, Bicycling, Historic Preservation

Posted 01 December 2015 - 08:57 PM

Here is where I went to search for Frigidaire:  http://library.uta.e...ry/items/search

 

There are several aerials that show the shed like building to the north.  From looking at those photos, it appears this was a lumber yard.  From www.historicaerials.com, the lumber yard was there in 1952, but demolished by 1956.  By 1963, the Lockheed building had been constructed. 



#6 earlbutkus

earlbutkus

    Junior Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 36 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Benbrook
  • Interests:Local history and historic sites

Posted 03 December 2015 - 01:33 PM

Thanks for the great info! I bookmarked that link and it has some great pics that  I have never seen before.



#7 gdvanc

gdvanc

    Elite Member

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 899 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Arlington

Posted 04 December 2015 - 10:12 AM

That's a pretty cool picture, John. My focus was drawn to the automobiles before the building. Can anyone identify any of them? And the foreground shadows are also interesting. You can see the photographer and his mounted camera. Looks like a vehicle to his left. But what is the long, pointed shadow extending beyond the vehicle's shadow?



#8 John T Roberts

John T Roberts

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 16,367 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:South Fort Worth
  • Interests:Architecture, Photography, Bicycling, Historic Preservation

Posted 04 December 2015 - 12:20 PM

From what I can tell by looking at the aerial photographs from UTA's Library on the building, it appears the object creating those shadows are billboards along the West Freeway.



#9 Not Sure

Not Sure

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 269 posts
  • Location:NRH

Posted 04 December 2015 - 04:56 PM

Thanks for sharing the link!

#10 John T Roberts

John T Roberts

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 16,367 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:South Fort Worth
  • Interests:Architecture, Photography, Bicycling, Historic Preservation

Posted 23 December 2015 - 09:40 PM

I have been exploring the UTA Library's site further, and I'm finding photographs that I didn't know existed.



#11 Ghost Writer in Disguise

Ghost Writer in Disguise

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 335 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Ridglea West

Posted 12 October 2017 - 09:09 PM

Here it is under construction, April 1954: http://library.uta.e...51ffcbd7202.jpg


  • JBB likes this

#12 Ghost Writer in Disguise

Ghost Writer in Disguise

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 335 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Ridglea West

Posted 12 October 2017 - 09:17 PM

And two aerials, June 1955:  http://library.uta.e...0abc7600e14.jpg                               http://library.uta.e...c6a36159ddd.jpg


  • JBB likes this

#13 JBB

JBB

    Skyscraper Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 7,421 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Dirty suburbs

Posted 12 October 2017 - 09:25 PM

Great pics.  I had no idea there was a rail line through there.  Did the bridge over I-30 survive until the freeway was widened in the late-80s?  I don't remember seeing the bridge as a kid, but my memory isn't what it used to be.



#14 John T Roberts

John T Roberts

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 16,367 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:South Fort Worth
  • Interests:Architecture, Photography, Bicycling, Historic Preservation

Posted 12 October 2017 - 10:18 PM

My memory isn't what it used to be, either, but I do believe the railroad bridge over I-30 did survive until the freeway was widened in the late 1980's.  Historicaerials.com also backs that up in that the bridge was there in 1979 with the freeway being narrow.  The 1990 photograph shows the freeway widened and the bridge removed.  I can also remember when it was a Fridgidaire facility.  That was before Ben Hogan and the Montgomery Street Antique Mall. The building is also another Mid-Century Modern design by Preston Geren.



#15 Ghost Writer in Disguise

Ghost Writer in Disguise

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 335 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Ridglea West

Posted 13 October 2017 - 05:47 PM

Looks like a stable across the tracks. I wonder what the octagon thingie was.



#16 John T Roberts

John T Roberts

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 16,367 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:South Fort Worth
  • Interests:Architecture, Photography, Bicycling, Historic Preservation

Posted 13 October 2017 - 07:45 PM

The octagon thingy is part of the Botanic Gardens.  It was then, and it still is there today.



#17 Ghost Writer in Disguise

Ghost Writer in Disguise

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 335 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Ridglea West

Posted 13 October 2017 - 08:14 PM

No wonder I didn't recognize it.



#18 John T Roberts

John T Roberts

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 16,367 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:South Fort Worth
  • Interests:Architecture, Photography, Bicycling, Historic Preservation

Posted 13 October 2017 - 09:36 PM

Since that area where the apparent stable is located is on current Botanic Gardens property, I'm wondering if it wasn't a maintenance shed for the gardens.



#19 earlbutkus

earlbutkus

    Junior Member

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 36 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Benbrook
  • Interests:Local history and historic sites

Posted 14 October 2017 - 01:38 PM

I hope the MSAM building is not in danger of demolition due to arena area progress to the north.



#20 Ghost Writer in Disguise

Ghost Writer in Disguise

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 335 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Ridglea West

Posted 14 October 2017 - 09:05 PM

The track just suggests a stable to me.



#21 Austin55

Austin55

    Skyscraper Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 9,657 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Near Southside

Posted 14 October 2017 - 10:36 PM

I hope the MSAM building is not in danger of demolition due to arena area progress to the north.

 

If anything it would be threatened by expansion of the Botanic Gardens

 

http://www.bbptx.com...den-master-plan



#22 Ghost Writer in Disguise

Ghost Writer in Disguise

    Senior Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 335 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Ridglea West

Posted 15 October 2017 - 08:25 PM

Then again, if it was a stable you'd expect to see horsies out in the daytime. But what else might have a track like that?



#23 Doohickie

Doohickie

    Skyscraper Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 5,007 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:South Hills

Posted 16 October 2017 - 09:08 AM

Since that area where the apparent stable is located is on current Botanic Gardens property, I'm wondering if it wasn't a maintenance shed for the gardens.

 

The urban legend I heard (maybe it's true?) is that the Botanical Gardens are located where the horses for Camp Bowie were kept, since they did such a good job of fertilizing the area.  Maybe that was a stable prior to being a maintenance shed?


My blog: Doohickie




1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users