3 replies to this topic

[John T Roberts]

This is a W.D. Smith Photograph from the Jack White Collection of Historic Fort Worth Photos, University of Texas at Arlington. It is also one of my favorite street scenes. It was taken around 1936. I thought I would open this photograph for general discussions.

[johnlp]

I like it! Was the Cox's building butted up to the KRESS building? Is that why we see the odd brick pattern on the north side of the KRESS today?

[John T Roberts]

The actual name of the building was called the Scott-Harrold building, with one of the partners in the venture being Winfield Scott. It was built in 1895 and it was "E" shaped with two light wells on the south side of the building. It was a very ornate and brick building and the structure was a mix of cast iron, wood, and load bearing masonry. The Fair Department Store was the first tenant. In 1930, they built a larger store at 7th and Throckmorton. In 1936, Cox's located their store in the building and remodeled it by putting a new facade on the structure. This new facade removed some of the ornamentation and put stucco over the brick. The stucco was scored to make the facade look like stone. In 1937, the Kress Building was completed next door. The glazed brick did not extend down into the light wells of the Scott-Harrold Building next door. In 1946, Cox's relocated to a larger store inside the Fort Worth Club Building, and Lerner's moved into the store in 1937. At that time, all of the windows were bricked up and a portion of the Houston Street facade was removed to build the Art Deco canted facade of the Lerner Shops. All of the ground floor windows along 5th Street were closed up at this time and the stucco was painted black on the base and white on the upper two floors. The light wells were enclosed at this time. You can see the old Lerner roof line by the flashing protruding out from the brick along the north wall of the Kress Building now. The Lerner Store was demolished in 1996.

[Garrett]

I love these old pics!!! Thank you!