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Gem on Samuels Ave. - The Garvey House


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#151 John S.

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Posted 27 December 2016 - 12:07 PM

John S., thank you for posting and update and providing some insight into the neighborhood issues.

 

You're welcome, John Roberts. As soon as any construction activity is noted I'll post about it. It's my understanding that renovating the Garvey House will be among the beginning phase of work for the apartments projects. I so look forward to seeing that happen as I'm sure fans of preservation in Fort Worth do as well. It has been a very long wait.



#152 John S.

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Posted 27 December 2016 - 12:13 PM

John, do you know where they are going to move the Dutch Colonial house? I had been contacted about my vacant lot, but it is too narrow for that house. I referred them to one lot and heard they were looking at others.

Andy, that is an excellent question; however, right now the question to be answered is whether it will be moved or not. When I went to help secure the house last Friday, the owner mentioned the possibility that his family might facilitate the move themselves but at this point in time, I don't think anyone knows for sure. The only thing I know for sure is moving it and putting it back down on a new foundation (it now sits on a rusticated concrete block foundation) will be challenging and expensive. Everything else would be speculation on my part. It would be a wonderful house to have as a neighbor.



#153 kokomojo59

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Posted 27 December 2016 - 02:48 PM

I just told my 82 year old mother about our house on Samuels Ave she is upset that it looks so bad. I hope something will be done to bring it back to its original beauty

#154 PPoole

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Posted 27 December 2016 - 08:40 PM

Working on relocating and restoring the house. Will provide more details as details are worked out. Garvey saved and the Talbott Wall House  next. Have patience. Hard and expensive work.



#155 Austin55

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Posted 27 December 2016 - 10:30 PM

Wonderful news. Thank you for all you do, Mr. & Mrs. Poole.



#156 John S.

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Posted 28 December 2016 - 10:55 AM

Working on relocating and restoring the house. Will provide more details as details are worked out. Garvey saved and the Talbott Wall House  next. Have patience. Hard and expensive work.

That is good news Mr. Poole. I realize the logistics and timing of this project are very complex and there are many "ducks" to line up in a row before things can move forward. I will keenly look forward in anticipation for evidence of progress in 2017. Thanks for posting your reassuring message.



#157 John S.

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Posted 14 February 2017 - 02:22 PM

Maybe its a sign of the times? I noticed this past week that there are new "for sale" signs by a commercial broker along many (7 or 8?) properties on the west side of Samuels Avenue going north of the side street of Greer (1000 block of Samuels) down to near Traders Oak Park. That means that most of the west (Trinity Bluff) side of Samuels Avenue is either under development or is currently up for sale.

Still no sign of any activity for the planned Garvey House Apartments project but some property owners under contract I've spoken to said a storm water drainage issue under the authority of the Corps of Engineers is currently being worked out and should soon be followed by a closing on their contracts.

The process of Samuels Avenue/Rock Island redevelopment got underway as far back as 2003 so no one should be surprised to see development continuing on the west side (Trinity River Bluff) of Samuels. I still regret that 100% of planned new construction appears to be for apartments (and a few existing condominiums) but the transforming neighborhood remains without any retail amenities. I wish the Downtown Design Review Board (or Planning?) or Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. would have sought to have some retail as an integral part of the neighborhood's redevelopment.  West 7th and Sundance Square's retail districts are too distant and pedestrian-challenging to easily serve current and future apartment dwellers along Samuels Avenue. Some limited mixed use with a retail component would be very welcome but current development patterns seem to ignore that increasing need. Perhaps that will somehow happen before the entire neighborhood has been redeveloped exclusively with new apartments; I can only hope so. I think the apartment complex owners would also concur.  Its possible the future Panther Island-Trinity River Vision project may eventually address the need for retail but completion of that "vision" remains years into the future.



#158 David_H

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Posted 15 February 2017 - 08:07 AM

Yes, I drive along Samuels most days and it is odd to see so many properties for sale, all with the same real estate company. 

 

When all this development finally gets going, it is going to be crazy on the south end of Samuels, where the road is quite narrow and already pretty busy. 

 

It seems crazy that there is no retail included in all of this - we live across from the cemetery and while downtown is only a short walk, there is obviously nowhere to get any grocery items and the people in the new developments will be even further away. I think it has been mentioned here that a small grocery store would do well in this area, especially with the proposed increase in the number of residents. 



#159 AndyN

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Posted 15 February 2017 - 12:44 PM

I noticed all the for sale signs last night. I knew Tim had been talking about selling for a while but I was surprised how many signs there were. Seems like I am getting an offer to buy my property on a weekly basis. I'm not ready to sell, but if they don't get a better balance of retail and mixed use, I don't think I'll stay. Dense apartment developments don't seem to maintain value after about 20 years.

 

I see 811 Samuels is listed in the MLS. When did they demolish that house?


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#160 John S.

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Posted 16 February 2017 - 11:11 AM

Hi Andy,

It was somewhat surprising to see the multitude of for sale signs suddenly go up on the north end of Samuels including the property of long term homeowners who had lived in their turn of the last century two story home for 30 years or longer.  But developers prefer to buy up larger parcels of land rather than patiently negotiate individual sales with each property owner/seller.  The agent for these properties did the difficult and tedious negotiating work making them more attractive for redevelopment.

 

The estate executor of 819 and 811 Samuels (20,000 sq. feet total for both lots) decided around Christmas 2015 to have 811 Samuels, a two story Foursquare house, (built around 1909-1911) demolished. I thought it could have been rehabilitated but also admit it would have taken a lot of work to do so. The cream brick Bungalow at 819 remains and would need mainly cosmetic work but the executor/seller realizes that the 800 Block of Samuels will soon be encircled on three sides by the pending Garvey House Apartments project. This inevitable situation surely limits the block's appeal for single family residential use. We too have had some "nibbles" (mainly from Dallas investors) but have yet to be under contract. Perhaps the line of thinking among developers is that nearby new development on the Trinity Vision's larger "Panther Island" will include a retail component and therefore could serve the present and future apartment/condo dwellers in the Samuels Avenue/Rock Island neighborhood.

 

I believe the Garvey House Apartments are to have 353 units adding maybe 400 or so new residents to our neighborhood. If Samuels were fully built out with multi-family units, that could add another 1,000 or more residents in the future. I concur with David H's concerns about traffic issues getting worse on the south end of Samuels where the street was narrowed (ostensibly to slow down vehicle speeds) but changes could be made in the future to ease traffic issues. Better planning could have changed the streetscape of Samuels from potentially becoming "Apartmentville" but the time to have done that was over a decade ago. We must also keep in mind the upcoming Stockyards redevelopment which could have some impact on the Samuels Avenue/Rock Island neighborhood as well.

While I'm making this post, has anyone heard about the proposed apartments project east of the Santa Fe tracks (off Gounah St.) where the Tandy Warehouse stands? I noticed months ago a commercial real estate firm had put up a large sign at the corner of E. Peach and Harding soliciting to buy up individual lots in that part of the neighborhood. Seems that most of the near downtown areas in our city are now undergoing redevelopment. I personally think its a good thing that Fort Worth folks are returning to live in the downtown environs. Urban residential living is an essential component of great American cities and it has become a nationwide phenomenon. 



#161 John S.

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Posted 16 February 2017 - 11:54 AM

Yes, I drive along Samuels most days and it is odd to see so many properties for sale, all with the same real estate company. 

 

When all this development finally gets going, it is going to be crazy on the south end of Samuels, where the road is quite narrow and already pretty busy. 

 

It seems crazy that there is no retail included in all of this - we live across from the cemetery and while downtown is only a short walk, there is obviously nowhere to get any grocery items and the people in the new developments will be even further away. I think it has been mentioned here that a small grocery store would do well in this area, especially with the proposed increase in the number of residents. 

 

David,

I just wanted to address the small grocery store topic. When we moved to Samuels Avenue in 1990 there were three retailers for groceries serving the neighborhood. In the 500 Block of Samuels (southeast corner of the intersection of Gounah, St) you had Amin's, a "Mom & Pop" type convenience store that was always busy. Where the Marriot extended stay hotel now stands was another Mom & Pop type convenience store called McCloud's. A bit more distant but still accessible to pedestrian traffic was the Courthouse Market, a true and perhaps ideal sized urban grocery store with a deli prepared foods section that became pretty busy around lunchtimes. There are parcels of land for sale on the east side of Samuels where a small grocery (I think an Aldi's would be a slam-dunk)  could work as well as individual parcels where something like a Starbucks or Subway shop would surely be well patronized. The aforementioned Courthouse market store and the two Mom & Pop stores stayed profitable until the owners were approached and bought out by developers. Since 1990, hundreds or maybe a thousand or more new residents have been added to the neighborhood without any new retail establishments to replace those that were lost. One could argue I suppose that the Chevron/Sonic combo sandwiched between Belknap and Weatherford fulfills this purpose but getting there by car can be challenging and walking there from the neighborhood can be downright perilous. Having a small grocery and a few select small retailers in the neighborhood would seem like a no-brainer to me at least. Can anyone explain or offer a guess as to why this retail anomaly hasn't been addressed? Proximity to retail amenities is one of the appealing and expected aspects of urban living unlike suburbia where housing developments often lack them.



#162 AndyN

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Posted 16 February 2017 - 12:07 PM

Hi Andy,

It was somewhat surprising to see the multitude of for sale signs suddenly go up on the north end of Samuels including the property of long term homeowners who had lived in their turn of the last century two story home for 30 years or longer.  But developers prefer to buy up larger parcels of land rather than patiently negotiate individual sales with each property owner/seller.  The agent for these properties did the difficult and tedious negotiating work making them more attractive for redevelopment....

 

 

....I believe the Garvey House Apartments are to have 353 units adding maybe 400 or so new residents to our neighborhood. If Samuels were fully built out with multi-family units, that could add another 1,000 or more residents in the future. I concur with David H's concerns about traffic issues getting worse on the south end of Samuels where the street was narrowed (ostensibly to slow down vehicle speeds) but changes could be made in the future to ease traffic issues. Better planning could have changed the streetscape of Samuels from potentially becoming "Apartmentville" but the time to have done that was over a decade ago. We must also keep in mind the upcoming Stockyards redevelopment which could have some impact on the Samuels Avenue/Rock Island neighborhood as well...

 

John, if you get a chance, PM me the name of the agent that is listed on those signs at the north end. I'd like to see if I can find the listing.

 

I got stuck behind an inconsiderate Uber driver Monday who parked in the northbound lane waiting for his fare to show up. There was sufficient traffic coming from the other direction that there were four cars including myself waiting for this SOB to load up and get out of the way. 

 

The master plan for Trinity River Vision shows a connector street crossing the river and connecting to Samuels just south of the hamburger plant. I believe this is salvation for the increased traffic in that it will give an alternate route to downtown. It would be my preference that it connect at Pavillion Street and a stoplight be installed, but I'm sure that would be up to the developer that buys the previously mentioned tracts.


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#163 MrsJimHarper

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Posted 16 February 2017 - 09:25 PM

I, too, wish we had some retail on Samuels. At this point, we still don't have enough people to support a grocery store, but a coffee shop would be so nice.

 

Have you seen the restaurant coming to Hampton St.? Tia's on the Bluff is the name, I believe.

 

If Hampton St. wasn't so awful, it would help with the traffic flow. I take Hampton in the morning quite a bit, but it's terrible. I've called and emailed and called some more, the city knows. I did receive notification of an upcoming meeting regarding Hampton St. and water/wastewater improvements.

The City of Fort Worth Water Department is hosting a public meeting concerning the North Hampton Street Water & Wastewater Improvement Project. The meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. in the Water Department’s Conference Room 225 at City Hall, 200 Texas St. 

 

I was at a meeting earlier this evening about the TRV and specifically asked about the connector bridge to Samuels. I was told it was an "if needed" type thing, down the line.

 

Regarding the Talbott-Wall house, if you know anyone interested in it, please let me know. There a quite a few us working together to save it.

 

In the meantime, I'm grateful to see the Garvey saved.


Gwen Harper


#164 JBB

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Posted 17 February 2017 - 11:36 AM

I think the lack of retail in the Samuels area and the fact that we're just now seeing plans for CVS in the center of downtown are both very telling about the critical mass of residents it takes to make retail plausible.



#165 Austin55

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Posted 21 February 2017 - 12:16 AM

I have come across an Army Core of Engineers document with 180 pages (!!) of information regarding this project. Included are summaries of the upcoming development, surveys of drainage, photos and floorplans of some existing buildings and conditions on the site, siteplans of the new development.

 

Here's a summary of the project - 

 

 

The Domain at the Bluff to be constructed by Domain at Bluff View, LLC (Applicant), is a proposed 10.8-acre multi-family residential development, located in Fort Worth, Texas (Figure 1). The development would be a 353 unit multi-family complex anchored by the historic Garvey House as the leasing office and boutique resident space for guests. It would have an amenity building with state of the art fitness, presentation kitchen, and living spaces with an infinity edge pool overlooking the scenic views of downtown Fort Worth and Panther Island to the west. A proposed resident park is designed and centered around a signature 57 inch diameter live oak and will include social areas, grilling areas, horseshoe pits, and other outdoor activities. In addition, approximately 2.5 acres of open space are proposed as part of the complex

 

Here's a siteplan-

 

IAb8hDr.png

 

larger render of the one we've already seen,

 

zIOUJeB.png

 

 

-It seems like every structure on the site will be demolished besides Garvey and the Talbott-Wall house at 915 Samuels is listed as "to be relocated".

 

You can see the full document here



#166 AndyN

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Posted 21 February 2017 - 09:51 AM

That kept me up past my bedtime last night. Thanks for the link. I had heard some rumblings that demolitions would start in February, but I haven't seen anything yet.


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#167 John S.

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Posted 21 February 2017 - 11:40 AM

That kept me up past my bedtime last night. Thanks for the link. I had heard some rumblings that demolitions would start in February, but I haven't seen anything yet.

Hi Andy,

Neither have I seen any activity. A fairly reliable source hasn't confirmed the developer closing on their properties yet. (I counted about a half dozen property sellers within the project) However, they may have different closing dates set for different properties. It makes sense to not spend the land acquisition money until the storm-water drainage issue with the Corps of Engineers is resolved but this resolution has been pending for over a month.

I'm very pleased to see the Heritage live Oak west of the northwest corner of Bennett Street is slated to become a landscaping centerpiece. When we bought our Samuels Avenue property in 1989, the elderly owners next to the Heritage live Oak claimed the estimated 400-500 year old tree was used for hangings in early Fort Worth but that kind of passed-down folklore is seldom confirmed by diligent research.  I suspect very few Old West type hangings actually occurred in early Fort Worth and those that did were conducted in public accessible places, not on an obscure privately owned locale on the bluff bank of the Trinity. Early maps do indicate a "Live Oak Point" located on the north end of Samuels near the historic, Traders Oak (Park).  Today, there are only a few surviving large live Oaks near the Traders Oak but surely there were many more extant a century and a half ago. The near Bennett Street example was probably spared the cross-cut saw or ax by some long ago landowner. Thankfully,  its centuries of survival will be honored and commemorated as part of this new development. I highly commend the developers for doing that. Given that we are now only a week away from the end of February, it's likely any initial site work won't happen until March at the earliest.  These large development projects do tend to extend years from concept to completion. I first became aware of it in November 2015. It may take until November of this year (or longer) before leasing of the completed apartments is underway but only the developers know their exact project timeline. 



#168 John S.

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Posted 06 March 2017 - 01:50 PM

Quick update: Embrey Development has apparently since closed in recent days on the properties to be used for the Garvey House apartments. This morning, (Monday, March 6) a pre-fab construction fence has gone up along the boundaries of the project fronting Samuels Avenue. With this minimal change, the scope of this pending project is finally visually evident. It's my understanding that actual construction work is still several weeks away but this now confirms that the project is underway; or at least the initial phase of it. I suppose we should appreciate having a "front row seat" to this new project but I am concerned about the streets around us being dug up, dust and trash blowing onto our property, as well as the increased traffic volume and noise close by as heavy equipment moves in to start moving dirt around.  I have spoken to the project construction manager/engineer and feel that Embrey Development is trying its best to be a good neighbor. I wish them well and look forward to the Queen Anne Victorian style Garvey House getting a long awaited renovation to again make it the historical/architectural focal point of our neighborhood. I had almost given up on this day ever coming due to delays and a similar apartments project by a Dallas based Developer being cancelled several years ago.



#169 AndyN

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Posted 06 March 2017 - 04:41 PM

Dang, you beat me to it. I had to stop by the house at lunch at noticed all the surveyor's droppings and panel fencing. There was also some additional surveying going on that makes me think that one of the historic houses might actually be relocated/saved from the wrecking ball.

 

The land speculators are nipping at my heels. I've gotten a letter recently from the agent representing all the other landowners at the north end of the avenue. Not sure how I will proceed but at the same time, I had a foundation company out over the weekend to give me a quote on getting my pier and beams adjusted. Not sure I will go to the expense of remodeling my house if I decide to sell. Had the pleasure to run into the owners of the Gruenwall houses on Saturday. Lots of discussion over the imminent change coming to the area. 


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#170 John S.

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Posted 07 March 2017 - 03:07 PM

Andy,

The construction fencing was completed this morning (March 7) so now the entire Garvey House apartments site is fenced in. Wish we had some of the "land speculators" you mentioned as we are the cheapest priced between the two higher priced properties on either side of us. (one has already sold as part of the apartments project and the other is listed with a realtor) Glad you were able to speak to the Gruenwall (or is it Gruenwald?) House owner(s) recently. Bet they had no inkling about the new development around the neighborhood including pending projects on the Rock Island section in the southeastern part. I have had two inquiries today about the pending apartments project from people merely curious about it. I think once the Garvey House apartments are built, for many it will be the first time they will become aware of the project. I remain hopeful that the 1903 Talbott-Wall House at 915 Samuels can be saved by relocation.

 

Samuels Avenue has always been slightly off the radar screen for most Fort Worthians despite it being the oldest neighborhood in Fort Worth and literally located downtown. A metal detectorist stopped by earlier today and was telling me about the finds he made years ago at the south end of Samuels where apartments now stand. He mentioned finding some uniform buttons from the Army Dragoons serving at the original Fort as well as CSA Civil War buttons. He said the most valuable find was a saloon token from the White Elephant Saloon. With the construction fence now up, access to land within the construction site will be quite limited. Any access must be coordinated through Embrey Development and their construction project manager.



#171 deeashley

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Posted 12 March 2017 - 03:02 PM

I'm fairly new to the forum and have quite a few photos I'd love to share of the Garvey house, inside and out. Is it appropriate to do that here? One interesting thing about the inside is that is was obvious someone had done some painstaking research on the preservation and the history of the house. There were even photos from its heyday as well as some painted renditions, newspaper clippings, etc.
I spoke with some neighbors but they knew nothing about this property from what I could tell. I'm afraid those gorgeous stained class windows have been destroyed by vandals within the last year or so. The one positive turn I could see was that the house has been sealed back up within the last few months. It was sitting wide open in the back for a while and I shudder to think what happened to all of that research someone had worked so hard on! Hopefully it is still in there. It's been a couple years since I saw these items, but I did try to photograph as much as possible for documentation.

I'm a photographer and have spent a LOT of time trying to document many of these locations I keep hearing about in these forums. I'm happy to share anything helpful under a CC license - especially if it helps preserve and honor these places in any way. A few of my photographed spots just in these last couple years have already been demolished, sadly.
Just let me know if I can help!

*As a side note, I am really excited to be here and love hearing about all of the efforts and developments that are going on all over this area. Thank you all for such wonderful stories, photos, and dedication! It's doesn't go unappreciated!
* Write something and wait expectantly. *

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#172 John S.

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Posted 12 March 2017 - 08:54 PM

Thanks for making your first Fort Worth forum post and welcome to the Garvey House discussion. The damage to the stained glass landing windows began years ago (I knew the two brother-owners well as I also did their elderly Mother for whom I spent 7 months researching the history of the Garvey House and the Garvey Family in 1992) . Lula Foster-Garvey, William B. Garvey's spouse, was the granddaughter of Baldwin Samuel the street's namesake. Repairs were made to the staircase stained glass landing windows in the 1980's but the replacement panes are not exact matches with the originals. The stained glass windows were afforded some measure of protection when acrylic plastic (Lucite?) storms were added but they too have since been damaged and deteriorated. A greater loss in my opinion was the wheel cut glass transom over the entry door (that had a wheel cut wreath design) which was broken by vandals tossing a metal pipe at it about 10 years ago in the night. Another wheel cut window with a swag design in the parlor has been damaged by BB pellets. Only two small entry wheel cut sidelight windows survive intact today. I suspect the front facing window seat window (an Inglenook) going up the staircase originally had some kind of art glass either wheel cut, leaded and beveled, or stained glass. The Kelley family bought the house in 1972 and it had already suffered years of decline. A prior owner allegedly took the wheel cut entry door pane down to their lakehouse . Old house restoration was in its infancy back then and the standard approach for most old house owners was to keep some of the original details but otherwise modernize the interior to suit modern lifestyles. It appears the Garvey's themselves decided to update the interior as the plain brick fireplaces in the front parlor and dining room reflect the less ornate Arts & Crafts era from 1910-1915. (the year both Garveys passed away) From the many period homes I've seen from the 1890's, surely the original fireplaces were hardwoods (quarter-sawn Oak was a favorite) and probably had columns and design motifs reflecting the Classical Revival Queen Anne style (sometimes described as "Free Classic") houses of this period. Foster-Munger was a giant Chicago based house parts company at the turn of the last century and you can find matching millwork items seen in the Garvey House in their 1900 catalog: https://archive.org/...age/n1/mode/2up   The Oak mantels they offered were common across the country at the time. Mr. Garvey was either on a tight budget or merely wished to be economical because the millwork throughout the house is the more economical Southern Yellow Pine including the staircase newel, pocket doors, and staircase balustrade. The only hardwoods are found in the patterned inlaid parquet flooring which could be ordered from catalogs (requiring the customer or installer to send in careful measurements) like this one from the 1890's: https://archive.org/...age/n0/mode/2up

The finished product was shipped by rail to the customer although doubtful the Garvey House floors came from the linked Cincinnati supplier. Most lumber yards of the day had millwork and flooring catalogs customers could order from.

But the Garvey House is not going to be about local history or a museum house; instead, it will be renovated to be used as the leasing and management offices for the new apartment project pending on Samuels Avenue. How much of the original interior to be retained is up to the developer to decide. I'm glad you took documentary interior photos of the Garvey House (maybe you should take some of ours which dates to 1889?) as perhaps in another 40 years when the still to be built apartments are nearing the end of their service life, someone else may want the Garvey House to more closely resemble its original form and configuration. Things change over time.



#173 John T Roberts

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Posted 12 March 2017 - 09:44 PM

)Deeashley, thanks for finally posting.  If you want to share your photos with us, you are welcome.  I have never had the chance to see the interior, but I'm hoping that when the office opens, I will get a chance.  JohnS, thanks for posting and keeping us informed about the activity in your neighborhood.  You are correct in your statements about the interior of the house.  Interiors are not protected by the City's Historic Preservation Ordinance.  However, Ames Fender (Wyatt C. Hedrick's Grandson) is working on the restoration of the house.  There are also other architects involved in the project.  I can't say much right now, but there are also some other preservation efforts going on in the neighborhood. 



#174 AndyN

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Posted 11 May 2017 - 10:01 AM

When I drove by this property yesterday evening, I noticed that the house has been encircled with scaffolding and work has begun. I did not get a picture.


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#175 John S.

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Posted 11 May 2017 - 11:02 AM

The c. 1910 Rominger House at 905 Samuels is no more. Demolition of the house began right after 7 AM  (its just feet away from our bedroom window)    and now, nearing 11:30 AM, only the chimney remains standing. I and several of my neighbors as well as stopping-by onlookers have taken photos of the demolition but if you've seen one house reduced to rubble by huge pieces of equipment then you've seen them all. I've nicknamed the large excavator with a vicious biting bucket "Jaws" as observing it in action makes it easy to understand why. In just a couple of hours, this 3,000 foot Foursquare type house was rapidly reduced to fine rubble. There are still about 4 houses to go for demolition then two garage apartments await the same behind the Garvey House. Changes to the Garvey House include removal of a back portion to be replaced with a wall of glass on the back side facing west. In the meantime, H.D. Snow and crew are preparing the 1903 Talbott-Wall house for its move. The latest I've heard is that the move is being scheduled for early next week but I also noticed that no concrete work has occurred at the home's new site at the corner of Samuels and Pavilion Streets. A cured out concrete foundation must be ready before the house can be moved and placed down on it. Or, perhaps the house is moved over the foundation framework and then the concrete work is done? It's my understanding about the Garvey House (769 Samuels) that all of the Cypress clapboard siding will be removed and replaced with Hardie synthetic boards having matching clapboard profiles. I believe that the Kelley family tried to scrape all of the old paint off the house after they bought it in 1972 but lead based paint was still available then so it could still have lead paint contamination. When "Jaws" was using its heavy bucket to pound and break out the concrete in the bottom of the swimming pool at 905 Samuels yesterday, every time the bucket hit the bottom, our house shook. I hope no damage has occurred to our 125+ year old fragile foundation. Otherwise, the momentum seems to be picking up with this large apartment project.



#176 AndyN

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Posted 11 May 2017 - 12:35 PM

What little I know of the house relocation is that it will be set on 5 feet of cribbing while the foundation is completed.


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#177 John T Roberts

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Posted 11 May 2017 - 03:20 PM

Due to rock found on the site, the concrete grade beams and footings will have to be poured before the house is moved onto the site.  We are running into issues with the building permit to pour the concrete foundation.  That is part of the reason for the delay.



#178 PPoole

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Posted 18 May 2017 - 11:01 AM

Move now set for Tuesday May 23rd. at 9:00 AM +/- If no weather or other conflicts occur.



#179 David_H

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Posted 04 August 2017 - 08:41 AM

I wasn't aware that the restoration of the Garvey House included a big addition to the rear:

 

IMG_1600-L.jpg



#180 JBB

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Posted 04 August 2017 - 08:54 AM

It was first discussed here when the renovation went up for approval from the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission. The agenda with the details is gone, but a Business Press story from last fall mentions the addition as being 500-600 square feet.

#181 Austin55

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Posted 26 October 2018 - 02:12 PM

Fort Worth Magazine has an article out on the house. 
 

http://www.fwtx.com/...and-new-purpose

Looks like they did a pretty good job with it to me, but I'm just happy to see it saved at all considering the state it was in.



#182 rriojas71

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Posted 28 October 2018 - 09:36 AM

Extremely happy with the end result. I was thinking of stopping by last week to see if they would give me a tour of the home to see the restoration work that was done.

#183 John T Roberts

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Posted 28 October 2018 - 01:57 PM

I was at the presentation that Fort Worth Magazine covered. I was actually standing next to the photographer when they took the picture.  I haven't posted any of my photographs that I took on the forum, but I did post a couple of interior and one night shot of the building on the main website.  Here's the link to the listing of the house on the site:  http://www.fortworth....com/garvey.htm

 

I will have a separate listing for the apartment complex, The Kelley at Samuels Avenue.  I did take some pictures around the clubhouse and pool area.



#184 John T Roberts

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Posted 28 October 2018 - 08:11 PM

Here are the three photos that I already have put on the building page for the Garvey House.

 

garvey-night.jpg

 

garvey-stair.jpg

 

garvey-glass.jpg






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