124 replies to this topic

[John S.]

1880's GETZENDANER HOUSE FOR SALE-New Interior Photos Added May 2
Please see house photos below later in this message thread. Also please see Historic 1886 Samuels Avenue Map at end of message thread below. Additional note: June 2, City Directories show the Getzendaner name spelled with one "N" not two, so I've attempted to correct this error where possible. For those who may be interested, the C. 1885 Getzendaner house at 760 Samuels is across the street from the historic, Texas landmarked, Garvey House (it is located at the southwest corner of Mayfield St. and the east side of Samuels) and has had a "for sale" sign just placed in front of it. It appears to be for sale by the owner rather than realtor listed and I have not contacted the owner for an asking price. The Getzendaner house was the family home by that name but experienced years of neglect including some upstairs damage from a large roof leak. It was repaired and repainted a few years ago but again shows signs of inattention. It was tenant occupied until a couple of months ago and I understand it is a rental property with an absentee landlord. It is one of three Victorian era homes for sale in the 700 and 800 blocks of Samuel's Avenue and would make a nice restoration project. I've seen the interior and there were some nice original details; the floors and woodwork/millwork were of Southern Yellow Pine. (heartwood) Siding is of Cypress and when an owner moved out in the early 1990's a neighbor did some yard work and found a piece of original metal roof cresting in an acorn design. The original front porch with Victorian era millwork remains and in the back, a wrap-around historic porch with porch post brackets featuring a Texas-flavored "Lone Star" cutout design remains. The Getzendanners owned a florist business in Fort Worth for many years.

The Getzendaner House is one of the oldest surviving historic homes on Samuels Avenue and in the City of Fort Worth; it would be a contributing structure for any proposed historic district. It is the last two-story Victorian era home remaining on the East side of Samuels Avenue. (the Conrad and Hannah Morgan, St. Clair, and Eggleston family homes that once stood nearby have all long disappeared from the east side of Samuels Avenue) The Texas landmarked Garvey House at 769 Samuels also remains for sale, as recently noted, but no takers, so far.

Important Update April 23: After seeing a large empty dumpster parked today in front of the old Getzendaner House, I copied the (local cell) contact number (682-551-4966) and called the owner. "Mike" said he has it for sale and is asking $250k, but if a developer wants it, it will be higher due to demolition costs. Sadly, this historic home from the 1880's, the oldest remaining on the east side of Samuels Ave., has no protection at all from demolition. The investor-owner, who spoke with a slight accent (Middle-Eastern?) hasn't a clue about it's historic value and said the house was worth "nothing", He said he had placed the large dumpster there to clean up the trash inside left by the former tenant. He may go ahead and take out a demolition permit, so this may be the last and only time to save and preserve this rare 1880's survivor. The last time I saw the inside, it still had many desireable original features but given the public nature of this forum it would be unwise for me to enumerate all of them here. There may be squatters or homeless individuals in the house right now as I saw some people standing just outside of it this afternoon. In any event, this rare survivor is in the going, going, almost gone category. Given that it is directly across from the Garvey House and is literally a stone's throw from the neighborhood Police storefront, it makes good sense to save it now before it's gone forever. Of course, a lot of things that made sense to save, weren't in Fort Worth, and we are less of a community today after losing them.

Note: I moved this to a separate topic (April 24) from the Garvey House discussion thread. Given the high level of threat to the house, time is of the essence and this may be the one and only opportunity to save this historic home. Hope the moderator(s) does not mind the separate topic posting. John S.

[bburton]

Well, John, it will be a real shame if the bulldozer gets this one.

[John S.]

Well, John, it will be a real shame if the bulldozer gets this one.

Thanks, Bruce,

Agreed. Right now the former Getzendaner property has more value to a developer than to a preservationist. Given the uncertain future for Samuels Avenue as a whole and the perpetual opposition of some long time residents to any historic designation, the picture for preservation on Samuels is not very bright. I think at best we can hope that a few of the more significant homes may be saved and perhaps adapted for other uses (offices and such) but to expect a well-preserved and protected historic district north of Pioneers Rest is unrealistic at this point. The timing for that to have happened was a decade ago and back in those days the opposition to preservation and/or historic zoning was even stronger than it is today. The historic part of the neighborhood never got "discovered" and went overnight from being considered marginal (even dangerous) to gentrified; albeit, the change was entirely driven by new development.

As proud Fort Worthians, we like to think we are very progressive and world-class in every way. Our track record on historic preservation leaves a lot to be desired. What is left of fabled "Quality Hill"? How about the near Southside? Fairmount is our largest "official" historic neighborhood and it is still in transition, not fully restored. When I think of all the opportunities we've lost to save our landmarks, it is truly sad. About 20 years ago, officials from the Texas Historical Commission toured Samuels Avenue to determine if it met the criteria for a National Register Historic District. Even then, it was deemed too incomplete for a true National Register district but it was proposed that we could still have a "multiple properties" designation. We were threatened by a highway expansion in those days. Several survey-identified contributing historic homes and structures from that visit have since been lost and what remains is endangered.

At one time, I had personal visions of Samuels Avenue becoming Fort Worth's only "Gaslight" era pocket neighborhood with in-fill residences in Victorian styles either being constructed or better, bringing in pre-1900 houses to fill in the gaps. At one time, Samuels had a trolley that brought people from downtown by the Courthouse and it ended at the old Pavilion beer-garden/amusement park/race track at the north end of Samuels near Trader's Oak Park (itself a significant early landmark Fort Worth site) There's evidence of a trolley turn-in or stop still visible in front of our home. But then, looking at things as they are today, reality sets in and I realize this is Fort Worth, not Disneyland. Although we have our fair share of home-grown billionaires, not one of them apparently thinks saving the history of Samuels Avenue is worth the investment. The only "vision" for Samuels has come from developers and by their nature and business acumen they relate more to new construction. Maybe doing something like re-creating a historic neighborhood is a Dallas thing; they do have their Old City Park as a sort-of, historic architecture, "petting zoo". The area north of Pioneers Rest is not even close to the size of Old City Park and, more problematic, it is still privately owned by individuals with many different personal viewpoints and motives.

Yes, there are still pockets of poverty in this small but dense urban neighborhood and while talking about the Samuels Avenue neighborhood history, we should find some way to recognize the neighborhood's Hispanic heritage as well. (before it too, disappears) But I'm afraid this is may now be a moot point. The foregone conclusion is that Samuels Avenue may transition to "condo-apartmentville" in the future. Local media have covered this possibility in recent months and years. Against this backdrop, saving the 1880's Getzendaner House seems more like a pipe-dream than a logical choice. Still, as unrealistic as saving and preserving it might seem, I could not simply shrug my shoulders and say, "oh well..." I'm glad this forum provides a place to share these thoughts and information.

[bburton]

Just a thought here -- maybe way off the mark: Is there any way Historic Fort Worth, Inc. could raise additional funds through a special capital campaign to purchase and restore the Garvey-Viehl Mansion and possibly other selected homes on Samuels that are of historic significance?

[John S.]

Just a thought here -- maybe way off the mark: Is there any way Historic Fort Worth, Inc. could raise additional funds through a special capital campaign to purchase and restore the Garvey-Viehl Mansion and possibly other selected homes on Samuels that are of historic significance?

God Bless you, Bruce!

Nice to know a few people actually care about the birthplace of Fort Worth. (and I sincerely believe, given all the events that happened on Samuels during Fort Worth's earliest decades, "birthplace" is a fair and justified term to use)

I sincerely hate to rain on anyone's parade, but the optimal time to mount a "save Samuels" campaign was before development came to the neighborhood. I would argue that back then, a million dollars would have bought every potential National Register eligible property on Samuels, or very nearly. Today, the Garvey-Viehl House owners are asking two million for it alone and although they might take less, the general situation is that development-driven land values are the reality here. A small 1950's cracker-box style house and smaller lot behind me sold to an investor for $225k in May '09. I know from talking to some of the major landowners on Samuels that they expect similar compensation levels for their land and homes should they decide to sell, regardless of whether their properties are historic or not. From a real estate values standpoint, the only profitable way of making a historic district or preserve on Samuels today would be to gentrify it to the point where only million dollar plus homes would be built and sold there. Sorry folks, but that just ain't gonna' happen!

Mid-range apartments and condos are the most likely future use north of Pioneers Rest Cemetery, but whatever type of development comes, it will not be the large single family homes on expansive lots common to Samuels during the Victorian era. Much denser redevelopment will surely come in the future and those historic homes lucky enough to survive and sited on coveted oversize lots will likely have to get much cozier with their neighbors in the future to continue their survival.

In any event, many thanks for your caring, kind words, and support for local history. The historic homes remaining on Samuels have actually fared better than in many other former historic areas of Fort Worth and redevelopment has been limited mainly to residential on the south end at a fairly slow pace. Commercial development of the type that happened along Summit Avenue and West 7th. (where many grand mansions once stood) appears unlikely.

Personally, I'll be happy to talk to anyone with ideas for saving the history of Samuels Avenue, but buying up the remaining historic homes is not very realistic anymore. The Getzendaner House is probably a good deal but it too would be a labor of love to restore, not a money maker for someone. I do think the Texas landmarked Garvey house deserves to be saved more so than any other on Samuels, but there too, the cost to purchase and then restore would be substantial and not very profitable from an investment perspective. I can't even begin to imagine what Samuels Avenue will look like if the Trinity River Vision town lake and city "village" along the lake become a reality someday. Thankfully, that scenario may still be 20 years down the road. If anyone would like to discuss the Samuels Avenue situation off-site or privately, John Roberts has my phone contact info. After living on Samuels for over 20 years, I believe I know something about the subject.

[John T Roberts]

John and Bruce, I will discuss these ideas with Historic Fort Worth this week. I think this would be a great idea, but I'm not sure if the organization would be able to pull it off. You see, the economic downturn has hurt the organization. Special projects will be more difficult. So I don't want to get anyone's hopes up.

Also, please keep posting information on the neighborhood. It might raise some awareness.

[John S.]

John and Bruce, I will discuss these ideas with Historic Fort Worth this week. I think this would be a great idea, but I'm not sure if the organization would be able to pull it off. You see, the economic downturn has hurt the organization. Special projects will be more difficult. So I don't want to get anyone's hopes up.

Also, please keep posting information on the neighborhood. It might raise some awareness.

Thanks, John,

Your comments about the overall economic climate right now in Fort Worth are "spot-on" according to all I've read and heard lately. Thanks as well for clarifying the appropriateness of posting about this particular property on the Fort Worth Forum. According to the realtor who has the Garvey House across the street listed, regarding the Getzendaner house: "760 Samuels looks like it was foreclosed on on April 2009 and was purchased this March by Mr. Nadaf Mustafa, possibly the guy you talked to who is calling himself Mike?" I cannot confirm this information, but hope it can be useful to anyone interested in saving this historic property. No doubt saving and restoring it would fall into the "labor of love" category and, as noted, the highest and best (economic) current use of land along Samuels Avenue would seem to be for new development rather than preservation. Still, as preservationists, we tend to look at things in an optimistic way and most of us try to believe in miracles. Sometimes our optimism is rewarded by getting something saved, other times not. Optimism embraced to overcome adversity has always been one of the good qualities that define Fort Worthians; otherwise, all that would remain of Fort Worth today would be some ruins of a long abandoned Army Fort sitting on a rugged bluff overlooking the Trinity River about 30 miles west of Dallas, near Birdville. (something to think about)

[John S.]

April 26: Update & Report on visit to the 1880's Getzendaner House

My spouse and I went on our late afternoon neighborhood walk and noticed a cleaning crew busily filling up the large dumpster in front of the Getzendaner House, so we stopped by to chat. Although there was an amazing amount of trash within the house remaining from former tenants (and maybe squatters?) we got a quick chance to peek inside and I was very relieved to see it was still very intact although badly needing a more thorough cleanup. The pocket doors were still there but all of the original Eastlake style bronze hardware was gone, likely removed by a person I know who stayed there briefly and used to comb the neighborhood seeking scrap metals. The Eastlake hardware pattern was a fairly common one for the period and examples of it show up or sale on e-Bay and other architectural salvage sites regularly, so while the thoughtless theft and loss are regrettable, the missing hardware is not unique and irreplaceable. A period appropriate front door is needed but I know of a perfect (Queen Anne style) example available from a local antiques dealer if a preservationist buys the property and wants one. I would be happy to provide (free) restoration advice for anyone wanting to do a period-perfect restoration as well. My knowledge of Victorian era architecture is encylopedic and national in scope. So please...just buy the place!

Any Fort Worth Forumers who might want to have a quick look may get another chance tomorrow when the cleaning crew returns for a second dumpster load. For someone wanting a great Victorian era home safely next door to the neighborhood Police storefront, here's your chance but I feel the Getzendaner House is priced so it will not be on the market very long. Please keep in mind the $8,000 first time homebuyer's tax credit and $6,500 tax credit for other buyers expire in just a few days. (Closing has to take place by June 1st, I believe) The 12 foot ceilings, millwork, pocket doors, and other original details make this one of the best preserved Victorian era homes remaining in Fort Worth; a very rare 1880's survivor eligible for local, state, and national register designation. The large, roomy house sits on a prominent corner lot and has plenty of space for a growing family. It is also within walking distance of Downtown and Sundance Square. We would love to have some preservation minded folks as our new neighbors, so please give Mike a call (682-551-4966) for more information.
(Disclaimer: I have no personal interest in the Getzendaner House or its sale except to see it preserved and in the hands of someone who cares about it's history) I was looking for the 1977 North Fort Worth Historical Society survey which included Samuels Avenue and clearly showed the Getzendaner House, but the link to the PDF document was broken. Would any Forum member care to take a couple of photos of this historic house to share with our other members?

[John T Roberts]

John, I will try to get some photos by the weekend. I also agree with you in that the time to save the street would have been before development took place to the south.

[John S.]

John, I will try to get some photos by the weekend. I also agree with you in that the time to save the street would have been before development took place to the south.

John,
I've went out this afternoon and took some photos. I'm going to try to upload them to this thread so please see them posted below. If anyone has additional questions or needs more information about the Getzendaner House or historic Samuels Avenue/Rock Island, please feel free to contact me via email: vintrest@yahoo.com

[John S.]

C. 1885 Getzendaner House 760 Samuels Front view

By some amazing feat, I managed to get this one uploaded and this is after reading the photo upload advice three times. I'll try again later. (edited: April 29-thank goodness for the editing feature!) More photos are below:


Texas style Victorian era porch post and brackets

[FortWorthLowrider]

[John S.]

Yeah, it needs a lot of TLC. Sprucing it up would help Mayfield to look better too. Several long time Mayfield Street residents with pride in their properties are trying to make it a better street. Mayfield was named after an early Fort Worth Saddle maker with that name. My spouse helped me to salvage two ornate entry doors and a pair of pocket doors from the Mayfield family home (then a cheap rental) on Mayfield St. before it was burned (arson) and the charred remains bulldozed about 10 years ago. Bulldozing the Getzendaner House would only leave behind another vacant lot and encourage development to come down to the north end of Samuels.

[John S.]

More photos:


Front porch bracket detail

Southside view showing patterned shingles and nice Bay

Front porch view


Hallway and pocket door to second parlor room

Mayfield Street view showing garage and house side


Wrap around back porch view


Symbolic tribute to Fort Worth and its place in Texas history ? In an abstract way, don't these brackets paired together sort of look like a Longhorn's head or am I just seeing too much "Texas" symbolism at work here?

These "Texas" style scroll-sawn brackets probably once adorned the front porch as well. There are "ghost" marks in the paint there suggesting missing brackets. The distinctive Lone Star cut-out examples on the back porch could be used to make a template for re-creating the missing ones in the front. The blue arrow at the front porch points to panels nailed over what might be hidden spindle courses. They were put over them when everything Victorian was out of fashion. Hopefully, the original turned spindles are still behind the panels. As stated, bringing the Getzendaner House back would be a labor of love, not a profitable quick "flip". Given it is next door to the neighborhood Police Storefront, it is very safe. (a TX DPS officer just moved in a few houses to the south as well) If a preservation minded buyer does not buy it then for certain it will be lost to future development. Thanks for reading about the Getzendaner house and please do whatever you can to save Fort Worth's rich history and architecture.

New Interior photos added May 2. 2010-see below

[FortWorthLowrider]

Who's house? For Sale? Rent?

[John S.]

Who's house? For Sale? Rent?

It is for sale only and a For Sale sign is out in front. (682-551-4966) The owner is asking $250k for the property and given what lots have sold for in recent years and months, a developer may pay him that much or more. If bulldozed, it's just another nail in the coffin for what remains of old Samuels Avenue/Rock Island.

[cberen1]

Who's house? For Sale? Rent?

It is for sale only and a For Sale sign is out in front. (682-551-4966) The owner is asking $250k for the property and given what lots have sold for in recent years and months, a developer may pay him that much or more. If bulldozed, it's just another nail in the coffin for what remains of old Samuels Avenue/Rock Island.

On a preservation project like this, when is it ok to replace old wood with new wood rather than trying to strip 130 years of paint? I'm thinking about the green support piece to the left of the blue arrow.

Also, to me this looks like a "This Old House" project.

[John S.]

Who's house? For Sale? Rent?

It is for sale only and a For Sale sign is out in front. (682-551-4966) The owner is asking $250k for the property and given what lots have sold for in recent years and months, a developer may pay him that much or more. If bulldozed, it's just another nail in the coffin for what remains of old Samuels Avenue/Rock Island.

On a preservation project like this, when is it ok to replace old wood with new wood rather than trying to strip 130 years of paint? I'm thinking about the green support piece to the left of the blue arrow.

Also, to me this looks like a "This Old House" project.

Again, this is a serious project that would take some investment in both time and money not to mention a lot of "sweat equity" on the part of an owner(s). The Getzendaner House does have a relatively new roof which is the most important thing for protecting an old house. (I noticed the electricity is on which is a good sign as well)

As for stripping paint, no big deal, an hour spent with a small heat gun and Pro-Prep scraper would render the encrusted green painted bracket as clean and pristine as it was the day it was nailed up. There are also infrared heat strippers which are far less dangerous for combustion hazards than heat guns or heat plates. Given the relatively marginal condition of some of the old Cypress clapboards (nailed up with old square cut nails, I might add) replacing them with new cedar clapboards would not be a problem. (except monetarily, perhaps) Cypress is no longer commercially available except for one small family owned sawmill in Louisiana-don't know if they even make clapboards there. If a whole house stripping project by professionals is chosen, one should make sure they are licensed, bonded, and federally certified to remediate lead-based paint. New rules from the EPA that just went into effect this month requires contractors (but not homeowners, I believe) working on any structure built before the mid-1970's to have Fed. approved, lead-based paint training and certification. (even if they simply rip off all the old wood and replace it with new)

I hope no one here seriously suggests putting vinyl siding over the original cypress clapboards or thoughtlessly ripping out the historic double-hung wood windows to install cheap, home improvement store-type, vinyl replacement windows on an 1885 house which is eligible for City, State, (Registered Texas Historic Landmark plaque) and National Historic Register designations. The Getzendaner family home, which, for over 125 years has witnessed Fort Worth growing from a small town to a major metropolis, truly deserves a much better fate than that. It's present condition shows the abuse and neglect it has received in recent years but it was once a prominent family home in this neighborhood (Fort Worth's oldest) built back in the days when Samuels Avenue was considered to be Fort Worth's silk stocking row. It could become an important historic home again; it certainly has good restoration "bones". Besides, how many 1880's houses do we still have left in Fort Worth? Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I can count all of them on just one hand. The Victorian era houses surviving in Fort Worth today are very few and far between. And those few we still have mostly face an uncertain future.

This Old House show should actually be called taking-an-old-house, gutting it, and rebuilding it with modern materials to mimic the old. Why not simply save the old to begin with? People who insist on everything being new and shiny, perfectly level, and 21st Century modern-looking, maybe shouldn't be buying a historic home like the C. 1885 Getzendaner House to begin with. Why buy a fairly intact and very rare 19th Century Fort Worth house only to gut and modernize it? Fort Worth is surrounded by sprawling miles of newly-built tract homes and "McMansions" equipped with all the modern "character" anyone could ever hope for. The Getzendanner House would look far better decorated with nice Victorian antiques and accessories than decked out in IKEA modern.

The positive changes that would be appropriate for this historic house would be to rebuild the front porch using period style materials (beaded boards for the ceiling, for example) restoring the wrap around back porch with the original 6" x 6" chamfered square columns with scroll-sawn "Lone Star" brackets; updating the electrical, mechanical, plumbing (if updates are needed) without tearing out or lowering the nice 12 ft. ceilings. (it can be sensitively done) Adding blown-in insulation to the walls; pulling up the cheap, commercial-style carpets and exposing the 125 year-old heart-pine flooring or overlaying with hardwood flooring; putting inside storm windows for greater thermal efficiency while keeping the historic double hung sash. Panels with scroll sawn cutouts or lattices between the foundation piers would also be period appropriate. Historical purists (if there are any in Fort Worth) might want to add Victorian style metal roof cresting and gable-end crockets (metal curlicues) such as those still replicated by the W.F. Norman corporation (in Nevada, MO) using original, 100+ year old stamping dies. If one really wanted to go all-out for authenticity, you could also add pricey (but beautiful) Victorian Bradbury and Bradbury replica wallpapers ; replica brass electrified gaslight-style chandeliers; and there's even a place in Decatur, TX which makes and sells exact replica wrought iron Victorian fences, but even just leaving everything as it is would be a lot better than tearing it down.

Real Estate agents and brokers will confirm that historic houses properly restored in that manner usually bring top dollar from sophisticated buyers. Look at the historic 1870's David Chapman Bennett (early FW Banker) House less than a block southwest of the Getzendaner House at 731 Samuels. The wise owners have not only beautifully landscaped this Italianate masterpiece (the only representative of that Victorian style remaining in Fort Worth) but went on to great expense and lengths to replace the old siding with new cedar clapboards, fully insulate the walls, install copper guttering, and preserved the home's historic windows as well. With it's recent paint job, the Bennett(-Fenelon) House is a real asset to our community. The Getzendaner House could be the same, but only if someone cares enough.

[FortWorthLowrider]

SAVE ROCK ISLAND

[John S.]

SAVE ROCK ISLAND

AMEN to that!

[John S.]

Here are some photos of the interior that I was allowed to take on the afternoon of May 2. (Sunday) The cleanup crew has made amazing progress in cleaning up this historic home and a visit upstairs confirmed it is in excellent condition with original millwork trim. I even found some original hardware remaining as seen in the photo. An upstairs closet back wall reveals very wide, full 12 inch pine planks for the wall nailed up with square cut nails. Most likely, they were originally covered with muslin cloth and glued-on wallpaper, a common wall treatment in those days. This is a BIG house! With caring owners, it could also be a showplace again.

Some similarities between the Getzendanner house and our own (at 823 Samuels built in 1889) are: the hardware pattern remaining upstairs on some of the doors must have been a very common pattern-there's a pair of matching pattern hinges in our kitchen. The Majolica tile fireplace surround with large tiles exactly matches the Majolica tiles pattern in one of our bedroom fireplaces. A couple of these tiles are missing here but historic tiles can be located and procured from online sources. The swirling border around the hearth floor is a unique design, almost Celtic. The unpretentious heart pine staircase has some beautiful graining and paneling/wainscotting. A nicely done refinishing would reveal the careful selection and use of grain patterns in the woods for an artistic effect. All in all, this 1885 house has tons of character and would be a Victorian architectural lover's dream come true. All it needs is your TLC. Even the original hardware to raise the transom windows is still in place in some cases; the Getzendanner House is a real time capsule and an exceptionally rare find these days in Fort Worth. I would be a real shame to lose it to demolition or someone's thoughtless remuddling. As previously stated, it deserves a better fate than that. (I guess the same could be said of Samuels Avenue/ Rock Island as a whole before we lose our history) My apologies for the blur in the staircase photo, my camera must have moved accidentally.


Hallway staircase sorry about the blur


Main Parlor Mantel with Majolica Tiles


Beautiful Majolica tiles in unusual swirling Celtic design


Upstairs closet with full 12 inch wide pine plank back and square cut nails


Ornate 1885 hardware still survives in some rooms upstairs

[David Love]

I've restored a couple similar houses, none in quite as bad shape, the place would definitely be a labor of love.

[cberen1]

I've restored a couple similar houses, none in quite as bad shape, the place would definitely be a labor of love.

...and money.

[John S.]

Since we are talking about spending some substantial money to restore the historic Getzendaner home, let's look at possible ways the house could repay for a restoration. Of course, it's now too late for the Fed. home-buyer's tax credits-they expired last week. However, the City of Fort Worth does have a tax freeze (10 years?, anyone know?) for restored houses historically zoned and they are assessed at the pre-restoration value level. The Getzendaner House is also in a downtown TIF-Empowerment Zone but I believe it only applies to commercial uses. While I think this 125 year old house would make an excellent single family home, it would certainly serve well as a Bed & Breakfast establishment, Law Offices, or "Parlor" style high-end antiques store/Art Gallery. The large rooms would make excellent offices. The substandard garage could be removed and a parking area created. Of course, zoning issues would have to be addressed and I believe it is currently zoned "B-2" or single/multi family residential. I would not propose continuing to use it as a rental because previous tenants have not been kind to the old home. Speaking of a Bed & Breakfast, what if someone bought both the Garvey Mansion across the street AND the Getzendaner House? They could then use the Garvey Mansion as an upscale downtown B & B operation yet still have a place of sanctuary to retire to after a busy day across the street where kids could do what kids do without disturbing guests. Alternately, the Getzendaner House could be used to lodge any overflow from the Garvey Mansion-y'all know the SUPERBOWL is coming to town next year, right???? Bet one could charge enough during Superbowl week for luxury accomodations in these two fine antique homes to almost pay for the restoration costs. Samuels Avenue is just a short distance from I-30 and Hwy 121-an ideal location. Every hotel within a hundred miles of the metroplex will probably be booked solid then. Update July 21: ESPN has just set up headquarters for the Superbowl broadcast event in Sundance Square within walking distance of this house-there's still time to do a bed and breakfast here and across the street.

The Getzendaner house would qualify for a Texas Historical marker better known as a RTHL plaque. (Registered Texas Historic Landmark) The 1890's Queen Anne mansion Garvey House across the street already has a large RTHL plaque and extensive historical narrative. Having another Texas historical marker nearby would create a point of interest at this juncture of Samuels Avenue. (which might help steer customers to a Bed & Breakfast or other commercial operation) Already, a dozen or more people a day stop to take pictures or read the marker on the Garvey House (769 Samuels) with even more visitors stopping by there on the weekends.

On the other hand, what's all the fuss here about? It's just an old house that has seen better days. One could simply shrug and say it's not worth it, why waste the money; just tear down this old "eyesore" and be done with it. Ok, but that type of careless abandonment has been practiced in Fort Worth for decades and now we are down to just a precious few Victorian era homes remaining in our metropolis of over a million. There's not much of Fort Worth's early history left and the Getzendaner House is an authentic and rare survivor. I could argue if we had kept the old Hell's Half-Acre buildings and saloons, which originally stood where the aging convention center now stands, that they would now be as popular a tourist draw as nearby Sundance Square or the Fort Worth Stockyards. (by the way, the Stockyards are just down the street off Samuels/Decatur Ave.; Sundance Squre is within walking or biking distance of the Getzendaner House) The massive old cattle barons' mansions which once proudly aligned along Summit Avenue from West 7th all the way up to Pennsylvania Avenue could have put to shame most of the so-called mansions on Swiss Avenue in Dallas, but while they still have and cherish theirs, our once-fabled "Quality Hill" is mostly gone forever.

Is the preservation of our dwindling early architecture just not what Fort Worth is about? I've seen way too many architecturally significant homes and buildings lost here since the mid-1980's. And people seem puzzled when my spouse and I confide to them we wish to pull up stakes, (after 21 years) sell, and relocate to another Victorian-era house in some small, quiet town in Pennsylvania. After over two decades of trying to "sell" historic preservation in Fort Worth, sorry to complain, but I'm getting frustrated, tired, and weary.

[John S.]

<b>Ornate Hardware Fragment Found</b>
The co-owner of the Garvey House at 769 Samuels went with me yesterday to take a look at the Getzendaner House across the street. He has lived on Samuels Avenue since 1972 and has seen the Getzendaner house go from shabby to nice and back to shabby again. The dumpster out front is quite full and at least one older (1930's maybe- painted)door was in it but I did not try to disturb or remove it. While passing by the old garage/carriage house, I noticed a piece of metal sitting amongst some debris that was recently cleaned out of it. When I picked the object up, I discovered it was almost half of an old door hinge encrusted with paint. After some careful cleaning, the hinge piece appears to be in an ornate pattern from the mid-1880's when the Getzendaner house was built. It is iron, but shows traces of copper or brass plating. Such hinges were an inexpensive way to have high-style "artistic" hardware on a budget during that era. In my own 1889 home, only the front door hardware is solid brass, all other hinges are cast iron, similarly plated with copper or brass. so it seems it was common practice to use less expensive hardware where appropriate. The Getzendaner House example I found is not a commonly seen Victorian design pattern. (I have a book on Victorian hardware)

We should keep in mind that prominent early Fort Worth Hardware merchant and former School Board president. Charles E. Nash, (for whom the Charles E. Nash Elementary school on Samuels Avenue is named for) lived across the street and just to the south of the Getzendaners. It is quite probable Nash Hardware supplied all of the hardware for this house as well as for many others on Samuels Avenue. Tastes in hardware styles changed rapidly in the latter part of the Victorian era and the many different distinctive patterns can sometimes be used to help date a house. In the case of this hinge, unfortunately, there are no manufacturer's identifying marks or patent dates, as are often found.

Throughout the Getzendaner house are signs they were somewhat restrained in the amount of money they spent on it and while it was built and furnished in good taste and style for that time period, it would be hard to describe the original house as truly being a mansion. Southern Yellow heart pine was used throughout the house for millwork trim, stairs, and floors rather than more expensive oak or walnut. Solid brass hardware was probably limited to the front door and the pocket doors going into the two parlors. (because they were the most public-accessible areas of the house) As previously mentioned, the original brass pocket door hardware was recently removed (while the house was tenant-occupied) and likely sold for scrap metal. All-in-all, the Getzendaner House is a Victorian-era middle-class home built for a well-known Fort Worth family of flower merchants. The 1898-99 FW City directory lists Bernard B. Getzendaner as a bookeeper at the Traders National Bank with his residence at <i>542</i> Samuels (I believe the street numbering system for Samuels changed in the early 1900's so this should be the same as 760 Samuels) At the same address was John A. Getzendaner, listed as a Cattle Dealer in 1898. In the 1916 directory, Bernard Getzendaner is listed as a real estate agent. A younger female member, Miss Benice Getzendaner is listed as a teacher at the W.A. Huffman School No. 1. Margaret, the widow of John A. Getzendaner, lived in 1916 at 803 Samuels. Finally, William H. Getzendaner is listed in 1916 as the owner of the Seventh Street Florist business and living at 760 Samuels. The family lived in the house (as far as I can tell) from the time it was built until the last of the family members died around 1970 when another family, the Hunnicuts, bought it. The second family sold the house about six or seven years ago to a rental properties investor and now it remains under the same type of ownership. As mentioned, the historic home is now for sale. ($199k) Here's a couple of photos of the found ornate hinge section: (the ball end unscrews)

<img src="http://farm5.static....83946911_o.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<a href="http://www.flickr.co...2;&#60;/a&#62;" target="_blank">1880's hinge part found near garage</a>


<img src="http://farm5.static....b90e80b6_o.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<a href="http://www.flickr.co...2;&#60;/a&#62;" target="_blank">Historic hinge section showing traces of copper or brass plating over iron</a>

[John S.]

Historic Thurber Texas Bricks on and near the Getzendaner Home

The recent rains have uncovered some vitirifed brick pavers alongside the Getzendaner property that are clearly stamped "Thurber Brick". Some have the Thurber stamp on the broad face of the bricks along with an indented triangle, others have "Thurber Brick" stamped in small letters on the ends of the brick. Hard to determine which ones are the oldest-any Thurber brick experts on this forum? Thurber, Texas, as most of us know, was once a coal mining center as well as a major manufacturing site for high-quality, hard-fired, (vitrified) paver bricks used in many communities, including Fort Worth, across Texas during the first decades of the 20th Century. I believe both the Niles City/Stockyards and Camp Bowie Blvd. pavers were originally paved with Thurber bricks, correct? In the 1898-99 FW City Directory, an ad for Thurber Bricks claimed: "This brick is made of the finest Shale, absolutely free from lime and is the best made brick in Texas." Thurber Bricks were sold then by Green & Hunter Bricks, dealers and manufacturers, their offices at the northest corner of Houston and Third.

The appearance of Thurber Bricks does not seem to be accidental. The Getzendaners once owned most or all of the properties along both sides of Mayfield Street between Samuels Avenue and Woods Street. (aproximately one block long) From what I've heard, these small homes were used as rentals and included some interesting Victorian era shotgun houses going towards Woods Street. (they are now demolished but I have some photos of them taken before demolition a few years ago) It seems the frugal Getzendaners may have seen an opportunity to reclaim and re-use old brick street pavers (perhaps dug up from Samuels Avenue when it was first paved with asphalt?) and they took these durable Thurber Bricks and relaid them as sidewalk pavers on both sides of Mayfield street. Although some sections of bricks have disappeared over the years, some still remain as evidenced in these two photos below:



Faded but visible stamped Thurber Texas paver near Getzendaner House



Faded Thurber Texas made paver near Getzendaner House

Just curious, given the relatively large number of "hits" on this message thread, has anyone inquired with the owner (Mike) about the Getzendaner House? I'm still hopeful someone who cares about Fort Worth's heritage will become the next owner(s) of this Victorian era diamond-in-the-rough on Samuels Avenue. It would be a shame to lose it and all the history embodied in this once-proud family home.

[John T Roberts]

John, I haven't tried to contact Mike, but I do wish that preservation would be placed at a higher level with the City. I'm also concerned about what future budget cuts might do to the Preservation Section of the Planning Department.

[John S.]

John, I haven't tried to contact Mike, but I do wish that preservation would be placed at a higher level with the City. I'm also concerned about what future budget cuts might do to the Preservation Section of the Planning Department.

Thanks John,

As long as you will allow it, I will continue to promote historic preservation on Samuel's Avenue and Fort Worth as a whole. The entire Rock Island-Samuels Avenue neighborhood is recognized by Historic Fort Worth, Inc. as endangered by development. Now that I believe I may have the photo posting thing figured out, I would like to start a new thread soon with some historic photos of Samuels Avenue (The Garvey House in 1900; The Bennett-Fenelon House about 1910, a glimpse of the long missing Eggleston House that once stood across the street from the Bennett House; my home circa 1910, and maybe a couple of others) Then, perhaps later post some Fort Worth "mystery" photos taken in the City long ago but the original locations are not recognized-maybe someone on the board will recognize them. Last, I have some more recent photos of historic Samuels Avenue homes and sites lost to "progress" in more recent years. I will not post all of these at once but I would like to share the oldest ones first and then over a period of time, the more recent images. As for the Getzendaner House, I know it's a long shot, but The Fort Worth Forum is probably one of the best places online to get the word out about an endangered historic home in our city. All we can do now for the Getzendaner House is hope for a good outcome and continue to do the best we can to save Fort Worth's important architectural legacy.
In preservation fellowship,
John S.

[bburton]

I would very much enjoy seeing any photos of older Fort Worth homes you may wish to post.

[John T Roberts]

Please post away. There is probably no better way to promote preservation.

[John S.]

Received an email from realtor Robert Groom today informing me the owner of the Getzendaner House intends to tear it down. Apparently, he talked to Mike about the house in the past couple of days. Don't know if a demo permit has been pulled yet but wouldn't be surprised if it had. The house has zero demolition protection and is one of only a precious few 1880's houses still remaining in FW. It is the last large Victorian house standing on the East side of Samuels from a half dozen or more that stood there originally. Wish I could share better news. If anyone is considering this property and sitting on the fence, I'm not trying to pressure anyone, but time truly appears to be running out. At least we have these few photos for documentary purposes...
John S.

[John T Roberts]

John, that is really a shame to hear. Historic Fort Worth placed the house on the 2010 Most Endangered List today at noon. This might be the last chance for the public to hear about a great house.

[FortWorthLowrider]

[John S.]

John & FW Lowrider,

Thank you for your support to save the Rock Island-Samuels Avenue neighborhood and the Getzendaner House in particular. I've put a lot of thought into thinking about realistic ways to save this house. One option, which really does not make a whole lot of sense, would be to seek the owner's permission to sell the house for $1 dollar to allow someone to move it off the lot. Or, maybe someone could trade a rental property of equal value somewhere else for this property? While it's on my mind, I think the most difficult basic issue standing in the way of saving the Getzendaner house is the publicly perceived versus actual property value. For a number of years, lot sales in the path of new development have been priced fairly high. I know of at least one instance (and there are probably many more) where a lot was sold for $35 a square foot, comparable to downtown land values. While development north of Pioneers Rest is still more speculation than fact, there are really no barriers (except the current recession, which we all hope is temporary) to developers extending new construction all the way to Trader's Oak Park at the far northern end of Samuels. I know for a fact that some properties in the heart of Rock Island, which is adjacent and extends somewhat to the east of Samuels have already been bought by developers, so we are at a crossroads in the future of the Samuels Avenue-Rock Island neighborhood. Public perception is not that 760 Samuels is an old house sitting on a potentially very valuable piece of land. No, most people see it as a neglected old house still located in a marginal neighborhood. Accordingly, they expect it to to be priced very cheaply, far less than the $250k asking price. While I agree that the house needs TLC, the latter concept of a marginal neighborhood is several years out of date. Gentrification has arrived on Samuels Avenue whether we like it or not.

John, if it would not be a whole lot of trouble, could you or one of Historic Fort Worth Inc.'s representatives meet with Mike (who I'm not even sure is the actual owner but perhaps handles the owner's business affairs?) and see if there's any willingness on his part to help save the Getzendaner house? The concept of "old" may be somewhat different for him since the country where he comes from "old" may be from 2,000 years ago, not the 1800's. Nonetheless, 1885 is pretty old for our City which was founded only 36 years earlier. Many of our earliest pioneers were still alert and walking the streets of Fort Worth when the Getzendaner House was built and while they are long gone, this relic from the 1880's still stands...at least for the moment.

As of a week ago, the electricity was still on and likely the water was/is as well. The cleaning crew did an exemplary job removing all trash and vacuuming every square inch of the house. They told me factually they did not find any rodents or vermin and the house does not have any unpleasant smells. As noted, the roof is only a few years old and many of the dangling clapboards and lose trim on the outside just need to be nailed back up. Some antique door hardware is missing but I would be willing to help new owners find suitable replacements.

Anyone who claims the house is not worth the asking price should take note of land values on Samuels. The property across the street is listed for $2 million. (and has had some serious interest in recent weeks) Looking at it from that perspective, the Getzendaner house is almost a "freebie". As a good neighbor and long time (21 years) resident of Samuels Avenue, I will be more than willing to help anyone who takes on the Getzendaner House with moral support and restoration advice as well as donate some time to help with two-person tasks. I'd even volunteer my pickup to help obtain building materials or whatever. There has to be a way to save this one even if it has to be moved to the Fairmount neighborhood or somewhere else. (Grapevine? Colleyville? Frisco?)

Again John, I think nothing can be lost at this point by contacting Mike and seeing if there are any other options or if we can get some more time from him to seek a buyer-I've seen far too many historic homes lost on Samuels since we moved here to the point where it's frankly disgusting to now lose the Getzendaner House. Losing it now when developmental pressures have eased, almost mocks the concept of historic preservation in our fair city and sincerely, I think we are better than that. This is not a what Dallas would do vs. Fort Worth thing, it's simply the right thing to do. As stated previously, I'm willing to meet or talk to anyone who has any workable solutions for saving this rare survivor. Thanks for letting me rant...

[John T Roberts]

The Public Affairs Committee of Historic Fort Worth contacted the owner of the property by US mail a few days before the Most Endangered List was released. We informed him of several options, but I actually don't know if he applied for and was granted a demolition permit before he received the letter. I wish we had more time on this one, but without even a Demolition Delay, there is nothing that can be done within the law. Maybe, we will hear back from him before demolition starts.

[John S.]

The Public Affairs Committee of Historic Fort Worth contacted the owner of the property by US mail a few days before the Most Endangered List was released. We informed him of several options, but I actually don't know if he applied for and was granted a demolition permit before he received the letter. I wish we had more time on this one, but without even a Demolition Delay, there is nothing that can be done within the law. Maybe, we will hear back from him before demolition starts.

John,

I'm well aware of the limitations for any legal maneuvers to save the house-as stated, there is NO protection against demolition, the house wasn't even included in the Downtown Historic Resources survey. (probably because the owner at that time was rabidly anti-preservation and I think even verbally threatened a lawsuit if the house were ever included in any published resources survey) Anyhow, I'm not sure if the committee approach and letters via U.S. mail are the most effective and expedient means to communicate with Mike, or if he's not the owner of record, then the absentee owner. The house still has a "For Sale" sign in the yard and a full dumpster sitting out front. (my spouse and I went by there this afternoon) Just wondering if someone in an official capacity could pick up the phone and call Mike (Ph. 682-551-4966) and see if he or the owner would discuss any strategies for saving the house. If he only wants the lot, as I suggested, maybe we could find an individual or organization or business who would pay to relocate the structure. The 125 year old house is too unique and intact to just say "oh well" and let it come down by a bulldozer blade. I've seen a lot of "tourist" traffic driving slowly around Samuels in recent days so I keep hoping there's someone out there who would be willing to save the place. I remember the 1906 Jennings house on Summit got saved by moving it about 15 years ago or so. The Queen Anne style Edna Gladney Home was moved from Hemphill over to the Fairmount neighborhood as well. The main thing needed is more time to seek alternatives to demolition and someone representing Historic Fort Worth, Inc. needs to talk to the owner to see if we could get that extra time. In any event, thank you and Historic Fort Worth, Inc. very much for including the Getzendaner house on the most endangered list. I hope it comes off the list soon due to a preservation-minded individual buying it. I did contact Corry at HFW Inc because the HFW listing cites it as being early 20th century when the house was featured in the 1886 Bird's Eye view map of Fort Worth in the North side and Driving Park view. The Eastlake style hardware used in the house was out of fashion by the 20th century as well so the Getzendaner House absolutely dates to pre-1900. I can obtain a copy of the 1886 Bird's Eye view and post it here if that would be helpful. I also sent an email to Alex Branch about the Getzendaner House at the Star-Telegram. He did a nice article on Samuels Avenue a few months ago. Sorry to be a "Preservationista", but if the house does come down, I don't want it to be said nothing was done to try to save it.

Update: Fri. May 28: John Roberts called me about the Gezendaner House at 760 Samuels and said he had talked to Mike. A meeting may take place this coming week with Mike to see what options for saving this house may be possible. Let's hope for a successful outcome so this historic Fort Worth Texas home can stand for another 125 years.

[John S.]

1886 "North End and Driving Park" Bird's-eye illustrated view by Henry Wellge of Norris, Wellge, & Co., Milwaukee, WI of the 700, 800, and beyond views of Samuels Avenue showing some of the prominent houses existing at that time. Local businessmen contracted with the aforemention company to have made a "Bird's-eye view" map of the rapidly growing city of Fort Worth, Texas. Due to the lucrative 1870's cattle drives and subsequent railroad boom following the arrival in 1876 of the Texas and Pacific Railroad, Fort Worth was a prosperous boomtown. Within this map, which concentrated primarily on the Central Business District, there was in the lower right hand corner a small rectangular illustrated section captioned "North End and Driving Park". This small rectangular view shows most of Samuels Avenue as it appeared in early 1886. That same year, the Santa Fe railroad put in a track (remaining to this day) adjacent and due east of Woods Street which forever altered the neighborhood; it went through the Driving Park (which was probably a more respectable euphemism for horse racing track) but the Park Pavilion, which was part of the Driving Park grounds, (and was a favorite local Confederate Veteran's meeting site) remained in use until about 1907 when the owner, "Papa Gruenwald" demolished it and used some of the salvage lumber and millwork to construct several small houses along Pavilion Street. (some are still standing) The map also shows a horse-drawn trolley which took people from the Courthouse down to the Pavilion with stops along Samuels Avenue. There is still evidence remaining of a Trolley turn-in in front of our home in the 800 block of Samuels. The 1886 view shows the last of Samuels Avenues' period of frontier "Wild West" days as it became thereafter quite respectable. The Samuels Avenue neighborhood north of the 1870's (Banker and Dry Goods merchant) David Chapman Bennett House at 731 Samuels (still standing) was outside the Fort Worth city limits until 1911. This salient fact allowed for some fairly libertine activities to go on in the neighborhood in the early days. Because this small section of the larger 1886 Fort Worth map was an "add-on", the artist took some artistic license and condensed several blocks (the 900-1100 blocks of Samuels) into one seamless block perhaps omitting some homes that were standing at that time. Otherwise, the view seems pretty faithful to the actually street layout.

I'm uploading a portion of this map, courtesy of the Brenda Kelley estate, and I have added numbers to key homes and information here:
No. 1 is the Getzendaner House at the southeast corner of Samuels and Mayfield Street (760 Samuels) as it appeared in 1886. Due south and left of it is the J. Walter St. Clair family home at 750 Samuels which burned in later years. (1960's?)
No. 2 is the now back portion of the William B. (1854-1915) and Lula Foster-Garvey (1857-1915) home at 769 Samuels Avenue. The large 1890's Queen Anne style mansion which stands there today had not yet been built as the Garveys were young (Mr. Garvey was listed as a "sand dealer and Newspaper dealer" in the mid-1880's city directory) and had just received a deed for their lot in 1883 from the Fosters, (Lula Garvey's parents) who lived next door at 761 Samuels. The back portion of this Garvey cottage view is now the kitchen area of the Garvey house.
No. 3 is the Isaac and Mary Cornelia Samuel-Foster home, 761 Samuels, built in 1882. This large two story Victorian stood until 2003 when due to severe deterioration and neglect it was demolished. (I'll post some photos of the house in the future) The steep central tower roof was storm damaged in the 1930's and repairs capped it flat. Mrs. Foster was the daughter of Baldwin Samuel, the street and neighborhood's namesake. After he died in 1879. the Fosters, who were prosperous farmers in rural Owen County, Kentucky, (southwest of Cincinnati near Lexington, KY) boarded the train and moved to Fort Worth. The expansive estate of Mr. Samuel, which at one time encompassed 800 acres, provided Isaac Foster with the means to dabble in real estate land sales thus allowing him in the 1891 city directory to be listed as a "Capitalist". Today a developer's sign stands on the large vacant lot.

No 4 is the Conrad and Hannah Morgan home. It was built in the 1870's after the Morgans arrived in Fort Worth with their string of thoroughbred horses. Originally, their estate-sized lot encompassed 10 acres thus allowing them plenty of room for their horses. No doubt the nearby racing track was put to good use with their fine equine specimens. By the early 1970's the former Morgan home was a cheap rental and a mentally-challenged tenant set fire to an upstairs closet in 1972. The entire house was engulfed in flames within minutes and was a total loss. The 1977 North Side Historical survey by the North Fort Worth Historical Society included a photo of this lost house. (note: the link to the online PDF version of this survey has been down for some time) The street adjacent to the house was called Morgan Street; it has long been "closed" but shows up on old city maps.

No. 5 is not a certainty, but after consulting with members of the Tarrant County Historical Commission in the early 1990's (Lela Standifer & Dee Barker) it was thought this house off to itself might represent the 1850's Nathaniel Terry and later Baldwin Samuel Home. Nathaniel Terry, a colorful figure who was once lieutenant governor of Alabama, moved to Fort Worth in the early 1850's and with slave labor built a local quarried limestone plantation house opposite Trader's Oak Park near "Live Oak Point". Baldwin Samuel bought the house and expansive plantation in 1870 from David Snow who had bought it from Terry during the Civil War. (a local legend tells about this transaction which led to Terry's financial ruin because he demanded payment in Confederate paper money to show his complete faith in the South) When Balwin Samuel died in Oct. 1879, the dirt road from his house to downtown was being called Samuel's Avenue in the City directory and maps. The apostrophe was later dropped for the current spelling. Samuel was a rustic, full-bearded, old Kentucky farmer from Todd Co. KY born in 1803. His 1879 Fort Worth obituary details some of his life including a trip out to California during the Gold Rush where he struck pay dirt. (1850 Todd Co. census records show his occupation as "gold digger") He used some of this "found" money to buy or rent a farm on Walnut Creek near Fort Worth before buying the Terry plantation in 1870. He is buried in Pioneers Rest cemetery. He left to his three daughters considerable wealth and one of them, Mary Cornelia, came with her husband Issac Foster to settle on Samuels Avenue. Lula Garvey was the Foster's daughter and the Texas Landmarked Garvey house still stands. As for the Terry-Samuel House, a large limestone block sitting in front of a house across from Trader's Oak Park may or may not be a remnant of it. An archaeological examination might reveal the original site from the 1850's.

No. 6 was included here with some reservations. Like it or not, Fort Worth in the 1870's lived every bit up to the reputation the Wild West had in fictional accounts and movies. Noted local historian Dr. Richard Selcer wrote up this period of Fort Worth history in his book, Hell's Half-Acre. In his book, Dr. Selcer mentions the name of a local brothel owner named "Frankie Brown". Caption Number 6 shows Madam Brown's "establishment" a large block style structure with double galleried porches top and bottom. It was reputed to be the finest "business" of its kind in Fort Worth. An excellent photo of this long-vanished "establishment" survives in the Mary Daggett Lake collection at the Central Fort Worth Library. In the 1949 Fort Worth Centennial edition of the Star-Telegram is an article with a photo of the edifice in it's later days captioned: Nice Ladies Sought Home for Stray Tots, So County Acquired House of Note. The article states Madam Brown's establishment was located near the intersection of Samuels and Cold Springs Road (Where Ripley Arnold Park is now located) and catered to the "most affluent of the sporting gentry" who frequented the nearby race track. In 1887, local matron Mrs. Belle B. Burchill and her friend, Mrs. Delia Collins, led a group of concerned women before the County Commissioner's Court and convinced them to buy the establishment for use as an orphanage. Most likely, the coming of the Santa Fe railroad which closed the race track in 1886 also put an end to Madam Brown's business near Samuels Avenue. Afterwards, the red light district in Fort Worth was kept confined in the Hell's Half Acre section where the Convention Center now stands. The former brothel house continued to be used for an orphanage until it was demolished in November of 1914.

Below is the historic map showing the captioned homes and structures:



1886 Samuels Avenue view showing Getzendaner House as No. 1

[John S.]

1886 Samuels Avenue additional views:



Expanded central view of Samuels Avenue in 1886



South end of Samuels now largely redeveloped.

Numbers explanation:

No. 7 The Pavilion, an early Fort Worth landmark was built in the Victorian Stick Style in the late 1870's as part of the Race Track (then called "the Driving Park") It was a favorite gathering place for local Confederate Vets and in later years, (after the race track closed in 1886) was used as a beer garden. In 1907 owner Peter "Papa" Gruenwald closed the Pavilion (probably due to the odors coming from the newly opened Stockyards, Armour and Swift slaughter houses, and packing plants) dismantled the large structure using some of the materials to build at least five small houses on Pavilion Street, where the horse drawn street car track from downtown ended. At least four of these houses remain, the massive support posts of the Pavilion are now their porch posts. One unverified account mentions the remainder of the Pavilion was pushed into the basement to fill it in and covered over. A recently constructed apartment complex now stands on or near the original Pavilion site. There are clear photos of the Pavilion in local history books and in the Fort Worth Central Library collection but due to copyright concerns, I cannot post any of them here. I did find this photo on the Portal to Texas History so I hope linking to a photo they have is allowed: http://texashistory....476/m1/1/?q=The Pavilion Fort Worth . The other photos mentioned previously showed the Pavilion open with a gathering of Confederate veterans. Here it is shown closed and boarded, possibly just before Papa Gruenwald began dismantling it. (around 1907)

No. 8 Horse Racing Track or "Driving Park". Because it was outside the city limits (until 1911) horse racing and avid betting took place here from the late 1870's until 1886 when the track was closed and the Santa Fe Railroad put their own kind of track across the racing track. All that was remained afterwards was the Pavilion and part of the grounds. The 1886 map (which was drawn in 1885, edited, and published in 1886) shows the Driving Park/ Race track during its final year of operation. It also shows Madam Brown's house of pleasure which was closed in the same year. These changes marked the last of the "Wild West" era on Samuel's Avenue. The staunch Baptist descendants (the Fosters and Garveys) of Baldwin Samuel, who died in 1879, were surely relieved that the neighborhood could now regain its respectability.

No. 9 This house is probably the Woods (or Woody?) family home. According to neighborhood old timers, it was an ornate gingerbread affair which stood out among its neighbors for its showy millwork and ornamentation. When it was dismantled and demolished in the 1940's or early 1950's, some neighbors carted off pieces of the millwork. A neighbor of mine showed me a piece of millwork-an overhanging cornice or pavilion type window hood-from this long vanished house that he creatively re-used to embellish his rather plain Victorian era home. (I'll post a photo of it in the future)

No. 10 The David Chapman Bennett House at 731 Samuels Avenue. This is the oldest house still standing on Samuels Avenue and one of two documented 1870's homes still standing in Fort Worth (the other is the rustic K.M. Van Zandt cottage once used for housing farm hands) David Bennett's wife Mildred was a cousin of John Greenleaf Whittier. Mr. Bennett and his brother arrived from Rochester Minnesota in the early 1870's and opened up a dry goods store on the Courthouse Square. He later helped found the 1st National Bank of Fort Worth and remained a bank vice-president until he passed away in 1910. His widow sold the house to Thomas P. Fenelon, General Agent for the Santa Fe Railroad. Mr. Fenelon and his descendants lived in this house until the 1990's. The Bennett-Fenelon House is the only surviving Victorian Italianate style home still standing in Fort Worth. Interestingly, the back portion of the house was built of thick brick walls but since the front portion was of frame construction, a lath frame was installed around the brick and clapboards were put over the thick brick walls. A back porch facing south was originally open with gingerbread scroll-sawn brackets. It may indicate the back portion is slightly older than the front. Now immaculately restored and landscaped, the Bennett House remains one of the outstanding historic gems of Samuels Avenue. The vacant lot shown in 1886 between the Bennett House and the Foster family home was later the site of the 1890's Nash home where Charles E. Nash lived with his family. Although gutted to the studs in the 1970's, it was extensively remodeled and completely rebuilt from the inside out and has been used for decades as a quiet, low-profile institutional facility for troubled teens. (Teen Challenge)

No. 11 Pioneers Rest Cemetery. No explanation is really needed but this is where the founders and major figures in Fort Worth's early history are buried. Major Ripley Arnold and his two children, General Edward Tarrant (that Tarrant County is named after) Baldwin Samuel (the neighborhood's namesake) and the prominent Daggett family as well as many other prominent citizens and family members are buried here. Numerous Confederate veterans are also laid to rest here and most Memorial Days there is a memorial service for these historic veterans conducted on the grounds. In the 1880's, Pioneers Rest was simply called: The City Cemetery. It dates from 1850 when the original Fort was still under commission. This is one of Fort Worth's most hallowed grounds and important community historic sites.

No. 12 The William S. Matney House at 527 Samuels. William Matney was listed as a "merchant Tailor" in the 1898-1899 FW City directory with his Tailor business at 313 Main, corner of W. 5th. His modest frame home was likely built in the early 1880's or late 1870's and was used in recent years as a rental until it was demolished along with a number of small rental houses behind it around 2005 or 2006. When the preservation-naive modern owner ripped out the historic windows for modern replacements and stacked them on the curb, I quickly reclaimed then and continue to store them to this day. The two over two pane antique sashes had the old wavy glass and ornate iron hardware. By the time the Matney house and it's smaller neighbors were demolished, these small, sub-standard but historic structures were cheap rentals with a transient tenant population. They did however, represent a sizable Hispanic presence on Samuels-Rock Island which is now losing it's Hispanic heritage one house at a time.

No. 13 Carpenter Gothic House. The original owner not presently known- this house is the rarest of survivors and is completely surrounded by brand new development. A developer has the property under contract to buy it when the elderly owner passes on. It is the only house in Fort Worth in the Victorian Carpenter Gothic style and has graceful gable brace arches with Gothic Revival style quatrefoil and trefoil scroll-sawn designs as well as turned drop finials in the brace center. A square mini-tower with ornamental brackets under its eaves rises on the front of this small, folk Victorian house. "Carpenter Gothic" is a sub-style of the more formal Gothic Revival style popular from the late 1830's until around 1870. The "Carpenter" examples were vernacular or folk versions which usually were built without formal plans. Their connection to formal Gothic Revival is found in the ornamentation and decorative details. Few Gothic Revival style homes were ever built in Fort Worth so that makes this example even rarer. The brick 1858 Col. J.B. Griffin House which once stood at 804 Penn Street had Carpenter Gothic ornamental details on its porch; it was still standing in the 1950's but has since been demolished. Since the Gothic Revival style was largely passe`by the early 1880's, this house may turn out to date back to the 1870's (or perhaps earlier)-more research is needed to ascertain it's origins. Also, please note that the street was then called Evans, after the Evans Family who lived on East Bluff street. (their two story E. Bluff st. home was demolished with the recent re-development) At some point, Evans was renamed Grant Street and is now closed with this Carpenter Gothic House being the sole survivor from an earlier era. It's continued survival will be miraculous unless an adaptive re-use can be found to incorporate it somehow into the surrounding new construction. It would be an excellent candidate to restore to original appearance and move to a future architectural preserve (like Old City Park in Dallas) if we ever have one besides the Log cabin village. (see Gothic gable ornament below)



Gothic Quatrefoil and Trefoils in gable brace at house on Grant-Evans Street.

No. 14 is the J. Walter St. Clair house at 750 Samuels which burned in the 1960's. Today it is a vacant lot next to the Getzendaner House due north of the Getzendaner property. (760 Samuels) Mr. St. Clair, who was listed as a railroad postal clerk in 1898, was a fellow Baptist deacon and close friend of William B. Garvey who lived across the street in the landmarked house at 769 Samuels. Mr. St. Clair testified at a dispute over Mr. Garvey's will after Garvey's death in 1915. He testified that he and Mr. Garvey had been close friends and fellow church members since the 1880's. In the 1898 FW City directory his house is listed at 538 Samuels but the numbering system changed in the early 1900's (after the City incorporated Samuels Avenue into the city limits) so it became 750 Samuels. In 1916, J. Walter and J. Walter Jr. as well as a daughter, Ethel and another family member. John D. St. Clair, all lived in this two story Victorian era home as next door neighbors to the Getzendaners. Unfortunately, no surviving photos of the historic St. Clair house have been found.

Some of the other unidentified houses in this historic 1886 map could be attributed to certain notable Fort Worth families with additional research. This map shows Samuels Avenue as a growing prosperous Victorian era neighborhood with the more prominent homes built on expansive lots. The neighborhood reached a fashionable peak during the 1890's and then, after the Stockyards/Amour & Swift Plants opened nearby in 1902, began a slow decline. By the 1960's, Samuels Avenue had lapsed in many Fort Worthian's minds to slum status and it would have to wait until the beginning of the 21st Century for new development to bring a perception of respectability back to the neighborhood in the public's mind. For those of us who have long lived here, this neighborhood has always been special and we never thought of ourselves as living in a slum, just a faded but still beautiful urban gem. It remains to be seen if others may now come in and restore the historic homes still standing here or collectively say goodbye and surrender them to wholesale re-development. The Getzendaner House is now on the front line of this struggle. The fate of Fort Worth's oldest neighborhood hangs in the balance.

[gdvanc]

Thanks for sharing so much historical information about the area, John S. It's a shame how easy it is for us to dispose of what little remains of that part of our past. I wish I had the money to save this one.

[John S.]

Just wanted to follow up with John (Roberts) to see if he had been able to make any progress with "Mike" about finding a way to save this historic 1880's home. I stopped by the Getzendaner House over the weekend and noticed the City had posted code violation papers on the front door about the large dumpster in front needing to be removed. While I was reluctant to post previously, there were some windows that had been wide open that have thankfully now been closed. I'm grateful this house is next to our neighborhood Police storefront and a DPS officer lives nearby.

I certainly hope a satisfactory resolution for this rare 1880's survivor is found soon. We have so few structures from the 1880's remaining in Fort Worth that we cannot afford to lose even one more. I look forward to hearing good news in the coming days.

John S.

(Personal Note: Thanks John R. for the PM and glad to learn efforts are still on-going to find a solution with the owner. I'll see you in the meeting next Monday at 12:30-hope you don't mind if the co-owner of the Garvey House at 769 Samuels comes along too)

Mon. June 21, update: I sat in on a Historic Fort Worth meeting today (thanks, John Roberts!) and the topic of the Getzendanner House and Samuels Avenue were discussed. Although no further contact has been made with "Mike" it appears he is willing to allow some time for a buyer to be found. However, the City has posted code violation orders on the entry and sometimes this pressure motivates the owner to seek demolition as the path of least resistance to remedy the problem. In this case, the city merely wants the large dumpster sitting out front moved away, but non-compliance with this simple request will bring more attention and action from Code Compliance fairly soon. As the saying goes, it is now on the City's "radar screen". Hard to fathom that someone in our city of a million is not willing to step foward and take on this house to restore it to the 1880's showplace it once was. (am I the only one who can see the house's potential?) I keep hoping to see someone step up and save this rare survivor. (if someone does, please let me know so I can happily post the good news here) Once the Getzendaner House is gone, it's gone forever while the neighborhood continues to improve almost daily. It is inevitable that additional development and the Trinity River Vision will transform Samuels in the years to come. Part of that has already happened and will only accelerate in coming years once the current recession eases. I'll post more here when there's anything to update on this unique historic house.
July 9 Update: Dumpster has been moved off property so appears it is now in compliance with City. No other changes to note and for sale sign remains in front yard. The State & City historic landmarked Garvey House across the street also remains on the market. Hopefully there will be some positive developments in the near future but the Getzendaner House remains highly endangered.
August 18 update: Two neighborhood houses had fires this past week, both accidental. One was a few houses due south of the Getzendaner House where the DPS trooper lived (electrical fire) the other on the northeast corner of Peach and Hampton, a circa 1900 two story, total loss. I would rest better at night knowing the Getzendaner house was occupied again. No buyers appearing during this slow hot summer either for the Getzendaner house or the $2 million Garvey mansion across the street. Maybe Fall will bring positive changes. However, the "for sale" sign is gone from the front yard-don't know if that means something or not. I'll make note of any new information here, so please check back from time to time. John S.

[bburton]

I almost hate to ask but: Any new news about the disposition of this historic property?

[John S.]

I almost hate to ask but: Any new news about the disposition of this historic property?

Bruce,

Wish I had something new and exciting to share with you but the for sale by owner sign remains sitting next to the house and the only thing seen in the past couple of weeks is someone mowing the front yard. Samuels as a whole is pretty sluggish these days and the C. 1885 Getzendaner, (760 Samuels) 1890's Garvey Mansion, (769 Samuels) and C. 1889 Riley-Lehane House. (823 Samuels) all remain on the market without any sales. All of them could still benefit from a buyer(s) with the where-with-all to bring them back to their original period appearances. Only one historic house, the 1870's David Bennett House at 731 Samuels has been restored on Samuels so far and this is Fort Worth's oldest street and neighborhood. I keeping hoping for someone with deep pockets to save this irreplacable neighborhood but in this recession, such a miracle appears unlikely.

[John S.]

While we are watching our last remaining gaslight era Samuels Avenue neighborhood slowly erode away, Dallas is having a homes tour this weekend in the State-Thomas Historic District. State-Thomas is Dallas's most intact Victorian era neighborhood and the homes tour is part of the Uptown Festival this weekend: Link to Dallas Uptown Festival Wish our "Uptown" had something similar, even if it were just riding the streetcars...

[AndyN]

Wish our "Uptown" had something similar, even if it were just riding the streetcars...

Well, we do have one streetcar in the neighborhood. But wheels, rails and wires are expensive things.

Quarterly meeting of North Texas Historic Transportation this Saturday at the Haltom Jeweler's board room, 2nd floor Knights of Pythias Bldg. @ 3rd & Main downtown Fort Worth 1:00pm. Interested parties welcomed.

[John S.]

Wish our "Uptown" had something similar, even if it were just riding the streetcars...

Well, we do have one streetcar in the neighborhood. But wheels, rails and wires are expensive things.

Quarterly meeting of North Texas Historic Transportation this Saturday at the Haltom Jeweler's board room, 2nd floor Knights of Pythias Bldg. @ 3rd & Main downtown Fort Worth 1:00pm. Interested parties welcomed.

Thanks for the head's up Andy. Yes, a streetcar is expensive but the concept is catching on again in many cities. By the way,(as you probably know) Samuels Avenue was served by a horse drawn streetcar for many years which took passengers from downtown past the Courthouse to Pavilion Park at the north end of Samuels. There's still evidence of a street car turn-in in front of our house. I wouldn't mind if it got reopened again someday.

[AndyN]

That's how I found my house. I was tracing the line out to the old pavilion. I've got a picture of one of the Samuels Avenue streetcars but not sure which end of the line the photo was taken.

[John T Roberts]

Brian, your photo is not of the Getzendanner House. Your photo above is the Garvey House. I probably should move the photo to the proper thread and then delete this post of mine afterward.

[John S.]

I almost hate to ask but: Any new news about the disposition of this historic property?

As promised, anytime I had news to report about this highly endangered historic home I would post it. In the past couple of days, a Remax realtors sign has gone out in the yard so that changes the selling game from for sale by owner to an official realtor listing. The Remax listing is by Mary Lou Gibbs: link to listing

Of major importance is the selling price has come down from $250,000 to $199K-so perhaps that will help bring a preservation minded buyer forward.

The only other thing of note is the addition on the front porch of some "railing" which is non-historic, and not to code. (well under 30") it is painted a dark green and it neither enhances nor detracts from the house in my opinion. Long-term, it will have to go as being non-compliant. The house desperately needs caring owners and TLC. Hard to believe in a metropolitan area as large as ours that no one is interested in saving it. It could be a real showplace in the right hands.

[Dismuke]

Nice to see it is being marketed as a place to live in and restore and not as an empty lot.

Anybody here have connections with others who might know some preservation minded people with pockets deep enough and an interest to undertake such a house - either here in Fort Worth or perhaps on the Dallas side of the Metroplex? If so, and if it hasn't occurred to you already to do so, please forward on a link to the listing/this thread. Perhaps there is SOMEBODY out there who WOULD enjoy taking something like this on and is in a position to do so. It sure would be a shame if it never happened because that person never even becomes aware of the opportunity.

Anybody with media connections? Sure would be nice if one of the local media outlets could do a story on an old gem in need of an owner. Might be good filler on a slow news day.

I would do the above if I knew such people. Since I don't, I'll just make the suggestion for those who might.

[John S.]

Nice to see it is being marketed as a place to live in and restore and not as an empty lot. Anybody with media connections? Sure would be nice if one of the local media outlets could do a story on an old gem in need of an owner. Might be good filler on a slow news day.
I would do the above if I knew such people. Since I don't, I'll just make the suggestion for those who might.

Dismuke,

The Getzendaner House's fate got a little more endangered with the just announced Trinity Bluffs Senior Village project to be built directly across the street. (761 Samuels) Now it will be a race to see if a preservation-minded buyer or some speculative investor-developer type snaps it up first. If there are any seriously interested preservation-minded buyers "out there", now would be the time to act. (realtor's link above) I expect the soon to be resident seniors across the street will be quiet, peaceful neighbors and the neighborhood's Police storefront is due north of the Getzendanner house. A DPS Trooper owns and lives nearby to the south, so this has to be one of the safest residential spots in FW. Please, no one later say I didn't try to get the word out when the Getzendaner House could have and should have been saved and restored.