John S.

The Beaux Arts/ Classical Revival movement had its day in the sun after the Neo-classical Great White City in Chicago built for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The monumental buildings were clad in white plaster to simulate marble, They lasted for only a short time. But afterwards, leading firms of the time such as McKim, Mead, and White, Peabody & Stearns, and others embraced and spread the Classical Revival gospel across the country. Public and institutional buildings popped up in the Classically inspired Beaux Arts style in many cities because Classicism suggests permanence and timeless design. During this turn of the last century phase, even lavish private residences took on the temple forms that were popular during the Greek Revival antebellum period. A friend of mine refers to these latter day residential Classical piles as "Greek Revival-revivals".  But again, architectural tastes continued to evolve and change over time. The 1920's German Bauhaus movement and emerging Prairie school movement blended and evolved into the modern International Style of the 1930's to 1960's. Art Deco was an offshoot, but it was cut short by the Great Depression and WWII.

The minimalist trend reached a peak in the aptly named Brutalist design movement of the 1960's and '70's along with modern abstraction in architecture exemplified by the Los Angeles Terminal Building with its flying saucer design. A characteristic of more recent architectural design is the liberty of free form in design not necessarily tied to styles of the past.  Therefore, it seems odd to read that a president has declared by decree a return to Classical forms from the turn of the last century. That said, Classical design, derived from the architectural design of ancient Greece and Rome does impart an air of Imperialism and permanence. Adolph Hitler's influential planner and architect Albert Speer used Classical idioms on a grand scale that would glorify the country's leader and affirm the belief that the third Reich would stand for another 1,000 years.

In light of this new decree, I can see architectural parodies of Classical design emeging that are made of plastic, metal, and glass. As others have opined, I seriously doubt there will be much of an architectural legacy of Classically inspired government buildings built during this administration due to budgetary constraints. I personally appreciate and admire the remaining old Beaux arts courthouses and public buildings like our old post office that we're fortunate to still have. I expect that mainstream architecture will slowly continue to evolve and may increasingly reflect a coming age of scarcity of materials and high construction costs. "Green design" is continuing to grow in importance. The technology of 3-D printing used for construction purposes may be an important component of construction in the (near) future. Therefore, this oddball insistence on returning to Classical design is likely to be nothing more than a minor footnote in architectural history. Our democracy isn't ready for latter day emperors, yet. When I start seeing people on the street clad in Togas, I may change my mind.

Am I alone in thinking that nearly all new residential development being constructed or planned around Fort Worth's urban core consists of apartments, apartments, and still more apartments? I know about the spotty history of condominium developments downtown but the vision of future Fort Worth becoming a huge monolith of block after block of uninspiring apartments is depressing. Developers/builders, because they tend to follow whatever local housing trends seem the safest from an investment prospective, are perhaps unwittingly short-changing our aspirations for becoming a world class city.

An Indiana friend of mine sent me a listing for a downtown town home in Indianapolis that out-class nearly everything I've seen in Fort Worth: https://www.zillow.c...083655113_zpid/    Why can't we have this kind of modern development here? The notion that a Rustbelt city in the Midwest architecturally out-classes what is supposed to be a booming urban destination for newcomers to DFW, is depressing. Fort Worth leaders seem satisfied that we are in the midst of a downtown renaissance by being front and center of the back-to-the-cites movement, but the reality is that the real monied people in our city end up building their multi-million dollar mansions on sprawling estates far from downtown. Adding more and more mid-market level apartments in and around the downtown core will do little to improve our City's image, IMO. I guess the typical downtown resident of the future will decidedly be an apartment dweller because individual/single family residences are so rare here. That said, I do appreciate new construction on formerly underutilized downtown lots but why do all of these new developments have to be so architecturally cookie-cutter like? Worse, imagine what all these apartment complexes are going to look like 25 or 50 years from now? A few may hold their value, longer term, but so many more probably won't because they were not built for permanence.

Perhaps as brokers/investors they are using favorable real estate tax laws to acquire and to hold onto property for resale; and not so much as to appreciate and invest in the neighborhood for the long run.  Some what sadly, it is the market that we have.

 

I read and appreciate your dedication to this historic neighborhood and those of other families who have remained loyal to the neighborhood instead of seeing it as a quick transaction to flip property.

Well, in my conversation with the new owner, he did use the term "flip" as well as mentioning a tight rehab schedule to have things completed in April. The best hope for Samuels Avenue to retain any historic character is on the east side of the street. The west side, except for a small number of properties, is either redeveloped or already "spoken for".

 

 

 

There is a small area containing a brewery, (Cowtown Brewery, an artisan beer venue with house favorite food items which just opened a few months ago off Hampton and is already well patronized) a family owned restaurant, (Tia's On the Bluff) and they are the closest now to Samuels Avenue.

 

There was a discussion on the forum the other day about places like Rainey Street in Austin and that concept being transferred to Fort Worth, I could really see that being successful in this little pocket. High residential density nearby, neat stock of old homes, and  few more unique spaces like the Blackhouse and Artspace 111.

 

Such venues are not very common in Fort Worth. I expect that mix of boutique type stores and small restaurants may take hold on Race Street near Belknap as one apartment complex is nearing completion and another is getting some dirt work done just east of the Trinity Bridge where formerly a BBQ place and a small tamales store once stood. Some stone retaining walls are now under construction but I do not know who the developer is. I heard a rumor that this is a second apartments project by Embrey Development (from San Antonio) but can't confirm it. If that is incorrect, does anyone know where Embrey development's second apartments project will be located? My biggest concern is that Fort Worth will very soon be over-saturated with new apartment units. When that happens, it becomes a renters market so then new apartments have to offer enticements as well as lower projected rents figures to bring in enough tenants. Maybe some still believe if you build it, they will come?

Hi All,

In the past couple of weeks, the long vacant c. 1909  Peter C. Grunewald House in the 1100 block of Samuels Avenue has sold and my spouse and I had an opportunity to meet the new owners. In the Tarrant County Historic Resources Survey it was determined that the Grunewald house meets the criteria for National Register of Historic Places inclusion and by extension, would also be eligible for an R.T.H.L. (Registered Texas Historic Landmark) designation provided the owners wished to do so. We have lived on Samuels Avenue since 1990 and have long wondered what the Grunewald house looked like inside.  We found it amazingly intact for a house of this period although "Papa" Grunewald who was the owner of the nearby Pavilion Beer Garden, a favorite picnic spot, was said to have used some salvaged materials from the c. 1885 Pavilion building in the construction of his house as well as constructing several small cottages along Pavilion street. In other words, his spacious house, wasn't mansion grade but was modestly built  with Southern Yellow Pine being the primary wood used for shiplap walls/ceilings, door and window trim, and floors. Many contemporary to the period houses in the Southside-Fairmount district are similarly constructed. A wide attic front dormer features fishscale patterned shingles as well as stock for the period "Colonial" diamond-paned stationary windows. The wide front porch has Classical/Colonial squat columns on raised wooden pedestals. The new owners intend to renovate the Grunewald house and use the downstairs for business purposes as well as create additional space in the attic. A trip up the fold down attic stairs revealed a very spacious open attic space. The owners are consulting with a structural engineer to ascertain what changes will be required to use this space. The owners are going to do a full rehab of the old house which had been minimally attended to for about two decades. I made a few preservation friendly suggestions to the new owners, welcomed them to the neighborhood, and wished them the best as they move forward.

With the two on-going apartment complexes nearby-Embrey's Kelly Apartments between the 700 block and the 900 blocks of Samuels and the Carleton's "Rocklyn" apartments, opposite Pioneers Rest cemetery in the 600 block, there has been a flurry of recent construction activity picking up in recent months. A nice American Foursquare type residence has been constructed from scratch on Mayfield Street in the 700-800 block of Samuels with remodeling work going on at the east side of Greer Street as well as the Grunewald House and a rehab project planned on Poindexter near the Trader Oak park.  I haven't seen so much construction activity in the 30 years we've lived here. I don't have a crystal ball either, but for now it appears the east side of Samuels to Woods street which runs parallel with the Santa Fe tracks is going to remain single family residential for the foreseeable future. That's good news as I've had serious concerns that in a few years Samuels Avenue's residents could entirely be apartment tenants. Some single family owner occupied housing is necessary to continue having a neighborhood character. Otherwise, the apartment complexes are self contained "communities" with little interaction between themselves and the rest of the neighborhood. Samuels still lacks any retail amenities of any kind to serve the neighborhood but that is a challenging issue for much of the downtown housing segment. Neighborhoods work best when residential needs are served by close-in retail amenities. Put in simpler terms, with about 2500 existing or in the pipeline apartments and condo units there's no convenience food outlets, a coffee house, or subway sandwich outlets in the neighborhood. Of course, Fort Worth is so car centric that retail amenities like those found on West 7th are just a short car trip away. We are not a pedestrian centric city like Portland, OR or Seattle with sidewalk cafes/bistros, book stores, flower shops, and bakeries. Still, I think something more is needed or the apartment population will gravitate towards areas with amenities like Race Street along Belknap where hundreds of new apartments are under construction with more still to come.

There is a small area containing a brewery, (Cowtown Brewery, an artisan beer venue with house favorite food items which just opened a few months ago off Hampton and is already well patronized) a family owned restaurant, (Tia's On the Bluff) and they are the closest now to Samuels Avenue. However, they still are on the other side of the Santa Fe tracks along Hampton Street and not very pedestrian accessible. Hampton Street is hand's down one of the roughest, pot-holed streets in all of Fort Worth. No need to post any speed signs there as about 5 mph is as fast as one can safely travel down this street best suited for off-road 4-wheelers.  Perhaps over time Hampton will become the neighborhood's mini "West 7th" retail development and can serve neighborhood residents' needs in the future. I personally believe the new housing development under construction on Samuels Avenue was needed to connect the south and north ends of the neighborhood. Perhaps years from now, the entire stretch from the Stockyards to Belknap street could become a solid developed area serving as an extension of downtown. Only time will tell.

 

Well as someone who grew up in "Rock Island" My parents bought a home in 1960......Me and my brothers mockingly say we grew up in the "The Bluffs" Witch was a name a developer used in the area about ten years ago. 

 

 The neighborhood could legitimately be coined "Old Town".

 

With the flood of new apartments under construction or coming in the months ahead, the historical identify of the neighborhood is being diluted. At least its good that some of the more prominent historic homes are being saved and given a chance to survive into the future.

The Talbott-Wall House is now featured on the national old house website Old House Dreams: https://www.oldhouse...-fort-worth-tx/

One can see in the comments on Old House Dreams website below the house post that Mr. Bailey, the new owner, alluded to a pending sale about two weeks ago. I congratulate the new owners on their excellent choice of properties. Prior to choosing the Talbott-Wall House, the Baileys had looked at a Second Empire style house in Fulton, Mo., and recently a Queen Anne style house in Lebanon KY before deciding to settle here. I wish them many happy years ahead in this beautiful turn of the last century Samuels Avenue home, They will be only the second family to own it since it was built in 1903. One reason the house remained so intact is because it stayed in that one family for 115 years. Not many houses in Fort Worth can make such a claim. We look forward to meeting the Baileys in the days ahead and welcome them to our neighborhood.

The Talbott-Wall House is now featured on the national old house website Old House Dreams: https://www.oldhouse...-fort-worth-tx/

JohnS, the total list I posted includes 2 properties on the east side of Samuels, one south and one east of the TW House. I think there might also be one in the court that is listed. Others in the court have considered listing their properties but are kind of waiting to see what happens to the others first.

In the transitioning situation we have at the moment in the Samuels Avenue/Rock Island neighborhood waiting and seeing what comes next is about all we can do. Logically, the east side of Samuels (away from the west side where the bluff overlooks the Trinity River) is less coveted than the bluff side. however, from from a development perspective, the level, regular lots located there are just as suitable for construction as were those on the east side of the street near Nash Elementary School. Only the downtown views are limited and admittedly the frequent trains can be noisy, (they are on the Bluff side too) but as far as location and nearness to the downtown, they are the same as the west (Bluff) side. I expect that once the Bluff side is fully redeveloped-and I won't even hazard a guess as to how long that might take-then the east side of the street between Samuels Avenue and the BNSF railroad tracks will begin to be bought up for development. As stated in my previous post, it took about 15 years for development to reach northward to the 900 block of Samuels (there was also a Recession during that time) so I wouldn't advise anyone to start packing up their things yet. I had once thought that by now we would have sold and moved on, and it could still happen, but it would be foolish for me to try to guesstimate when. Developers aren't known for sharing their plans with the public until a long planned project is almost ready to break ground. Even then, sudden changes in market conditions and other unforeseen changes can alter the timelines or even lead to a project being shelved indefinitely. The best approach in my opinion is to take a cautious wait and see position which includes not making any plans until a property is under contract with a firm closing date. Some of the properties Embrey Development bought were pending under a sales contract for well over a year. That is quite a different buying/selling approach than is customary in the general housing/residential marketplace. Those property owners contemplating selling should also be wary of anyone calling, making them an up front (usually low) phone offer, as well as promising a very quick closing.  We've had a couple of those already. In any case, Andy, good luck if you decide to sell your properties. Otherwise, its nice to have you as a neighbor.

Just curious, is there a separate message thread on the recently re-announced Carleton Properties apartments project titled "Rocklyn" in the 600 block of Samuels Avenue? The prior project was announced in October 2013 but was ultimately cancelled or shelved a year or two ago. An informal neighborhood meeting with a Carleton representative a couple of weeks ago revealed a new design with more units planned than were in the previous project. The ground breaking is supposed to happen by September with completion coinciding around the same time as the Embrey Development project (variously called The Garvey House Apartments; The Kelley, and The Domain)  which begins at 761 Samuels and continues to the 900 block on the west side of Samuels.  I will be happy to scan and send or try to upload the "Rocklyn" conceptual drawing if it hasn't already been linked to. When asked why the name "Rocklyn" was selected for the project the Carelton official said it was based on the "Rock Island" name (part of the neighborhood has been informally called Rock Island for decades because of the former Rock Island railroad tracks that run through the neighborhood. However, I'm not sure the west side of the 600 block of Samuels was ever considered part of the traditional Rock Island area. Still, I'm Ok with the new name and I like the new design better than the cancelled version from 2013.

Did the name change on this project? I've seen some articles calling this The Kelley at Samuels? Maybe the thread title needs to be updated. If I recall correctly, the Kelleys were the last owners of the Garvey-Viehl house.

 I too wondered about the name change when I read the article. The late Gordon and Brenda Kelley were early preservationists on Samuels Avenue with them buying the Garvey House in 1972, if I recall correctly. Mr. Kelley was instrumental in the first historic resources survey of Samuels Avenue in the late 1970's. (many of the houses in this rare survey are no longer extant; they provide an idea about the magnitude of losses since the 1970's) The two Kelley sons/brothers resided on the Garvey House property until they sold to an investor several years ago. I'm sure the Kelleys would be pleased to have their names memorialized in this manner. They saw potential in the Garvey House and the surrounding neighborhood at a time when few others did. Brenda Kelley was a spirited, colorful character and her enthusiasm about the preservation of the old homes on Samuels Avenue was helpful in convincing my spouse and I to buy our 1889 home on Samuels in 1989.  When she asked me to engage in historic research about the Garvey House I did not hesitate to consent. It was a preservation high point when the RTHL (Registered Texas Historic Landmark) dedication occurred with former House Speaker Jim Wright and Judge Tom Vandergriff were present. In summary, either The Garvey House Apartments, or The Kelley would both be appropriate.  I would expect to see some kind of official sign soon on the newly cleared land announcing the upcoming apartments. (maybe the intended name will be revealed as well)

In the many years I've been involved in historic preservation issues, moving the Talbott-Wall House is one of the most gratifying victories and saves to date. I too would like to add my personal thanks to the many individuals who helped take the Talbott-Wall House rescue plan to fruition. (By the way, John, I was told a potential buyer for the Talbott-Wall house is available but I'll PM you on that) John is correct in that back in the early 1990's the Texas Historical Commission's architectural historian, Tory Laughlin-Taylor, visited Samuels Avenue and she concluded there were too few surviving and contributing historic structures for a contiguous historic district on Samuels. Instead, she proposed there could have been individual property nominations for inclusion into the National Register of Historic Places. On the other hand, a number of prominent and long time neighborhood property owners were downright hostile towards any suggestion or plan made to preserve the historic character of Samuels Avenue. From this group of anti-preservation minded property owners, came the initial land sales to developers around 2003-2004. With that action, the present and future redevelopment path was established. The Recession years of the last decade merely provided a short reprieve, but now development city-wide is again in full swing. At this point, its unlikely that any plan, except a piecemeal approach, can guaranty the survival of the remaining historic homes on the west side of Samuels. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20 but from my personal observations two things presently stand out from which future lessons can be learned.

First, I believe that once the scope of a development project has been identified, those historic structures in the path of development should be proactively and thoroughly salvaged if moving them is not feasible. Workers removing historic/period elements were busy right up until sunset late yesterday trying to get salvage materials taken out of the two cottages near the intersection of Bennett and Locust streets. Some useful additional materials should have been salvaged prior to hazmat remediation such as posts/columns, period windows, doors, and period door hardware. Unpainted door and window casings/trim were removed by the hazmat workers and placed in a pile next to the white cottage, However,  later, before they could be reclaimed, they were scooped up and disappeared into dump trucks. I managed to salvage a few of these trim pieces but a better timed and carefully coordinated salvage plan should have been put into place. Certainly its a moot point now as both cottages were disintegrated within 30 minutes early this morning. Now their remains are on their way to a permanent home in the landfill.

Second, the last and largest (Post?) Oak tree was brought down a few minutes ago near the northwest corner of Samuels and Locust streets. A trench was excavated next to the large tree and after some of the larger limbs were dismembered, pressure by the huge excavator was put on the main trunk causing the century old Oak (probably older as it was larger than some of our trees which were growing when a circa 1910 photo was taken of our 1889 home. )  to topple to the ground with a loud crash. Some Cedar-Elm trees of dubious merit were marked and saved but both Live and Post/Pin Oaks trees were destroyed. I still maintain that if such mature trees must go, at the very least they should have been harvested for their hardwood lumber. (for firewood if nothing else) Quarter-sawn Oak boards cost a fortune these days if you can find any. But now that the largest Oak is down (a few other damaged Oak tree trunks have been pushed off to the sides) that too is no longer a relevant topic for discussion. Happily, the ancient Heritage Oak near Bennett street is being preserved and integrated into the apartment complex design.

Overall, I can't complain much because Embrey Development has more than met local requests to save what could be saved. The Garvey House is shrouded in plastic sheeting right now but like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, the refreshed exterior should soon be a sight to see. 

Speaking of inspiring sights, the newly cleared views of downtown from the rise where Bennett and Morrison streets meet are nothing short of stunning. One can view the entire downtown skyline with the panoramic view ending on the northwest with the channel of the Trinity River. In the many years we've lived in the Samuels Avenue-Rock Island neighborhood, I wasn't aware such beautiful vistas existed.

Thanks again for everyone's efforts to help save one of our neighborhood's architectural gems. I also applaud Embrey Development for demonstrating that the goals of development and historic preservation are not always mutually exclusive.

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.

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.

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.