58 replies to this topic

[bburton]

Forum member and Samuels Avenue resident/advocate, John S., always gets his licks in whenever he can.

http://www.star-tele...th-history.html

[John T Roberts]

The website and the forum are also mentioned. I would love to see Samuels Avenue legally protected against demolition by getting a Locally Designated Historic District for the street

[Joshw]

The website and the forum are also mentioned. I would love to see Samuels Avenue legally protected against demolition by getting a Locally Designated Historic District for the street

I'm really confused why it doesn't. Fairmount has one, Samuels should for sure as it's history is even older.

[AndyN]

Well, I didn't live there the last time it came up, but apparently the people who live there don't want one.

[David Love]

Historic designation comes with limitations as to what you can and can't do to the house, which means it often costs more to take care of.

[John S.]

Thanks for the nice words. Despite getting in my "licks" for the past 20+ years I cannot cite more than one preservation success except for the Garvey House State marker (Registered Texas Historic Landmark) back in 1992. The late Brenda Kelley, a colorful Fort Worth original, invited former speaker of the House Jim Wright and the late Judge Tom Vandergriff to the marker dedication ceremony. To my surprise, they both came and spoke briefly about the importance of preserving Fort Worth's history and architectural legacy. It was probably the high point of preservation awareness on Samuels Avenue but the forces of redevelopment as well as foes of preservation with deep roots in the neighborhood have consistently spoken out against any larger historic designation beyond individual properties. I count my spouse and I as among the last card-carrying (National Trust) preservationists on Samuels Avenue. 22 neighbors we became acquainted with when we moved to the neighborhood are either deceased or have moved away. Mr. Barris was quite limited (600 words or less) in the scope of his article which mixed nostalgia with historical facts. Credit is deserved for Dee Barker and Lela Standifer as well as local architect Art Weinman (Tarrant County Historical Commission) for helping to get the marker put on the Garvey House. Thank goodness the Fort Worth forum received mention as it does provide a "bully pulpit" to advocate historic preservation in our city. Last, largely unrecognized but deserving of praise is the restoration of the former David Chapman Bennett/Thomas P. Fenelon House at 731 Samuels. It is among the oldest surviving homes in the city dating from the 1870's. It's also the last remaining example of Fort Worth's Italianate style residences from the Victorian era. The owners have done a remarkable job in bringing the place back and showing how the old houses on Samuels can look with enough investment and TLC. As the article states, caring new owners are needed for the remaining unrestored historic homes in the neighborhood including the Garvey House now suffering from deferred maintenance and neglect. When photographer Charles Swartz included some of Fort Worth's finest residences in his 1901 Views of Fort Worth, he included the Garvey home. It is one of only 3 homes in the souvenir book that are still standing. We can't afford to lose it! But that will happen if it doesn't get into capable, caring hands soon. Neither of the brother-owners can maintain it and I know personally that the asking price ($2 Mil) is quite negotiable. It will have direct access to the future town lake if that project comes to fruition. Ok, that's all the "licks" I have to get in and I appreciate the Fort Worth Forum for allowing it.

[John S.]

Historic designation comes with limitations as to what you can and can't do to the house, which means it often costs more to take care of.

Hi David,
Have you ever heard of "Form Based Codes"? Historic district designation does impose some rules but they are designed to protect the historical integrity of homes and buildings in a district. Nothing more jarring than having a nicely restored period home someone has poured their heart and soul into and right next door is a cheaply remodeled home from the same period with vinyl siding, closed-in porch, weedy yard, and a chain link fence. This juxaposition kind of ruins the effect that historic district designation is supposed to provide. Design compatability is a serious issue in planning circles these days.(the form based codes are part of that planning philosophy) As odd as it may seem, visual continuity and compatibility tend to enhance the appeal of a place and preserve or even increase property values. It's nothing new; Homeowners' Associations have been enforcing design compatibility for decades and the more expensive the location the more likely it is to find exacting rules and restrictions. Of course, the argument that a person's property is theirs to do as they (you know what) please may be true in some places (smaller towns, rural) but larger cities do have some restrictions even without any historic designation...they are called ZONING laws. As for added maintenance costs for restored historic homes, yes its true, but the trade off in added maintenance costs is usually recouped in higher property values. Some of the priciest real estate in the country is in historic districts. Try to buy a San Francisco Victorian townhome for less than a couple of million or a Brooklyn Brownstone for a lesser price. There's a reason some of the cheapest homes are located in impoverished areas such as trailer parks, near dump grounds or sewage treatment plants where maintenance is sporadic and trash strewn lots plentiful. People do care about appearances and are willing to pay for it.

[John T Roberts]

John S., thank you for making some points I was going to make in my reply.

[FortWorthLowrider]

Hello John S. I will buy you lunch if you would sit down with me and tell me everything you know about Rock Island/Samuels Ave.

[Volare]

...It will have direct access to the future town lake if that project comes to fruition. ...

Does the house property extend down the river bluff and to the river?
If I won the lottery, I'd buy that place tomorrow.

[John T Roberts]

The lot on which the Garvey house sits does extend down to the river. Josh, as far as a historic district goes, AndyN is correct. There is not enough neighborhood support. The city will also not support it. The general attitude of the city has been let the market determine what is saved or designated.

I have served on and chaired the Designation Committee of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission and it was a goal of the committee to research and analyze the historic properties in the area. We did that and we had 22 properties that we felt were the most important in the neighborhood. Most of these properties were continuous, so a district could have been created. The city suggested that we shoot for individual designation instead of creating a district. In 2010, our committee was canceled due to city budget cuts. We decided to keep the committee alive and call ourselves the Citizen's Designation Committee. When the committee was officially recognized by the city, it took a long time and a lot of work to actually get a property designated. Now since we are a committee with no support from the city, it takes even longer and more red tape to get one of our properties through all of the City Departments that must bless it before it even can be on Landmarks Agenda. Then, there are certain procedures and hearings that they must have before they can vote. Right now, if the committee decides to nominate a property for designation, it takes about one year for it to go through the process and be approved.

[John S.]

The lot on which the Garvey house sits does extend down to the river. Josh, as far as a historic district goes, AndyN is correct. There is not enough neighborhood support. The city will also not support it. The general attitude of the city has been let the market determine what is saved or designated.

I have served on and chaired the Designation Committee of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission and it was a goal of the committee to research and analyze the historic properties in the area. We did that and we had 22 properties that we felt were the most important in the neighborhood. Most of these properties were continuous, so a district could have been created. The city suggested that we shoot for individual designation instead of creating a district. In 2010, our committee was canceled due to city budget cuts. We decided to keep the committee alive and call ourselves the Citizen's Designation Committee. When the committee was officially recognized by the city, it took a long time and a lot of work to actually get a property designated. Now since we are a committee with no support from the city, it takes even longer and more red tape to get one of our properties through all of the City Departments that must bless it before it even can be on Landmarks Agenda. Then, there are certain procedures and hearings that they must have before they can vote. Right now, if the committee decides to nominate a property for designation, it takes about one year for it to go through the process and be approved.

All true, John. And for FW-Lowrider: I know a lot about the early history of Samuels but it also has an interesting more recent history from between the 1930's and the arrival of developers after 2003. I should buy you lunch for being able to fill in the gaps about the important Latino community in the old neighborhood. Many of the Latino families have lived in the neighborhood for several generations and often own their own homes. Their children went to school with my children at Nash Elementary, Carter Middle School, and Carter-Riverside High School. Latinos continue to make up much of the neighborhood population yet seldom get mentioned when Samuels Avenue-Rock Island is discussed in the media. I suggested to Mr. Ken Barris to include some of the Hispanic heritage on Samuels but he was not allowed to write a full history about Samuels, just a short article limited to 600 words or less which was focused on the early days. Maybe the S-T will share an article focusing on the more recent history of the neighborhood soon. If so, your knowledge about the Latino community's heritage might be of considerable value for writing an accurate story.


Last, a section of the almost ancient wrought iron fence protecting Pioneers Rest Cemetery was damaged near the corner of Samuels and Cold Springs Rd. about a week ago. It appears a vehicle lost control and slammed through the fence. The impact threw a section of the iron fence up against the first row of grave markers. The City has temporarily put up a protective high-visibility plastic fence to cover the gap. I hope the missing section gets repaired/replaced soon to prevent unauthorized entry and vandalism (which has been an on-going problem for many years both in Pioneers Rest and in other old cemeteries around the region)

[John T Roberts]

Several houses in the Samuels Avenue area came before the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission on Monday seeking permission for demolition.  One is a very significant home on the street.  I don't know the outcome of the meeting but I'm posting a link to the agenda that was heard yesterday.

 

http://fortworthtexa.../Individual.pdf

[Austin55]

I noticed the zoning commission also ran solve changes in this area.

[John S.]

Several houses in the Samuels Avenue area came before the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission on Monday seeking permission for demolition.  One is a very significant home on the street.  I don't know the outcome of the meeting but I'm posting a link to the agenda that was heard yesterday.

 

http://fortworthtexa.../Individual.pdf

Thanks John, for bringing up this topic. The application was for demolition of 915 Samuels, as well as 815, and 901 Bennett Street. (due west of Samuels accessible by Locust street)  Mr. Phillip Poole with Townsite Co. made it abundantly clear at the meeting (we attended) that the intent is to move the 1903 Dutch Colonial Revival Talbott-Wall house at 915 to another lot on Samuels, perhaps nearer to Pioneers Rest cemetery in the 500-600 blocks of Samuels. He opined it might be possible to move the two houses on Bennett St. but moving costs may be too high to justify. Mr. Poole further promised Commission members to protect and save the ancient heritage live Oak tree behind 815 Bennett street which is a rare survivor from the time when the north end of Samuels was described in old texts as "Live Oak Point".  It is approximately the same age as Trader's Oak and a living legacy of Fort Worth's distant past. The H & C Landmarks Commission did their job by invoking the 180 day demolition delay on all three properties which means they will either be moved or demolition cannot take place before mid-October of this year.  That was all the developers put on this month's agenda.

 

But these agenda items are part of a larger new west side of Samuels development effort that begins at 761 Samuels (where the old Foster-Poole house once stood, demolished in 2004)  and ends near Greer street in the 900 block of Samuels. Oddly, the entire 800 block of Samuels (six 50 foot wide by 200 feet deep lots in total, or about 1.5 acres) is left out of the development plat but planned development extends behind and west of the 800 block along Locust, Bennett, and Morrison streets. Maybe another developer can come in and use these six lots although the absentee owner of the two 50 foot lots (with rentals) at the south end of the block is on record as saying he is not interested in selling. But four of the lots are available and we would sell ours tomorrow if an acceptable offer was made. Our historic home, the 1888 Reilly-Lehane residence, has someone already poised to move the house to a new lot should we sell so it won't be lost to demolition. No other contributing historic (or demolition delay) properties remain in the 800 block. I hope the willingness of the developers to rehab and save the landmarked Garvey House (769 Samuels) helps to persuade regulatory entities to allow the development to proceed. The Zoning Commission takes up the project application tomorrow and then it comes before the City Council for review and approval next Tuesday. (April 19)  We've been aware since 2004 that development would extend northward on Samuels and after almost selling to a developer in the summer of 2008, we've had a short reprieve during the Great Recession years. Now that development is again at full speed.  I feel this particular developer is trying to accommodate preservation concerns while creating new development. I don't have an exact figure for the estimated Garvey House rehab costs but I know its well into the hundreds of thousands. The poor house sat deteriorating and unsold for years yet no one stepped forward to save and rehab it so I don't feel any exaggeration when I state this is the last best chance to save this landmark Victorian residence. Last, if for some reason the development is stopped at the regulatory level, there's nothing to prevent a less preservation friendly developer following and simply waiting out the demolition delay periods to then clear out whatever remains. By that time its quite likely the Garvey House will be beyond saving. I'll be happy to answer any questions if I know the answers.

[Austin55]

15. ZC-16-080 TRINITY BLUFFS DEV LTD, TODD A. PHILLIPS, 915 SAMUELS LLC, EARLINE PRESCOTT, ADRIENNE PALMER, JOHN CORNELSON, AND TALBOT WALL PRESCOTT LLC 761, 765, 769, 905, 915, 917, 919 Samuels Ave, 801-815 (odds) and 901 Bennett St. 16.48 ac. CD 9 a. Applicant/Agent: Mary Nell Poole/Townsite Co. b. Request: From: “O-1” Floodplain, “D” High Density Multifamily; “D/DD” High Density Multifamily/Demolition Delay; “D/HC” High Density Multifamily/Historic and Cultural Overlay; PD 931 “PD/TU-N2” Planned Development for all uses in “TU-N2 Trinity Uptown Neighborhood Zone 2” plus outdoor recreational activities to include drive-in movie theater, concerts, etc. a mobile food truck park, three to four screen theater with hard surface, and dust free parking/viewing areas. Only temporary outdoor recreational activities and associated structures are exempt from the development standards of the TU-N2 district; all permanent structures not related to the drivein theater shall meet the development standards. On-site concession stand and food trucks shall have paved surfaces. Site plan waiver requested. To: “PD/D” Planned Development for all uses in “D” High Density Multifamily, retaining historical overlays, with Development Standards and Downtown Urban Design standards; site plan waiver requested. 4 c. The case will be heard by the City Council on April 19, 2016.

 

 

Above is the zoning commission agenda.

[John S.]

 

15. ZC-16-080 TRINITY BLUFFS DEV LTD, TODD A. PHILLIPS, 915 SAMUELS LLC, EARLINE PRESCOTT, ADRIENNE PALMER, JOHN CORNELSON, AND TALBOT WALL PRESCOTT LLC 761, 765, 769, 905, 915, 917, 919 Samuels Ave, 801-815 (odds) and 901 Bennett St. 16.48 ac. CD 9 a. Applicant/Agent: Mary Nell Poole/Townsite Co. b. Request: From: “O-1” Floodplain, “D” High Density Multifamily; “D/DD” High Density Multifamily/Demolition Delay; “D/HC” High Density Multifamily/Historic and Cultural Overlay; PD 931 “PD/TU-N2” Planned Development for all uses in “TU-N2 Trinity Uptown Neighborhood Zone 2” plus outdoor recreational activities to include drive-in movie theater, concerts, etc. a mobile food truck park, three to four screen theater with hard surface, and dust free parking/viewing areas. Only temporary outdoor recreational activities and associated structures are exempt from the development standards of the TU-N2 district; all permanent structures not related to the drivein theater shall meet the development standards. On-site concession stand and food trucks shall have paved surfaces. Site plan waiver requested. To: “PD/D” Planned Development for all uses in “D” High Density Multifamily, retaining historical overlays, with Development Standards and Downtown Urban Design standards; site plan waiver requested. 4 c. The case will be heard by the City Council on April 19, 2016.

 

 

Above is the zoning commission agenda.

 

 

Thanks Austin 55 for posting the Zoning Commission agenda's project application.  (meeting today)

 

To clarify, 761 Samuels has been a vacant lot since 2004 when the Foster-Pool house was demolished. 765 is the north side of that same large double lot. 769 is the landmark Garvey House property proposed to be rehabbed and retained. 905 Samuels is a two story Foursquare house that was "Spanish Colonialized" in the 1970's with stucco applied to the exterior and there are two rental units in the back. 915 Samuels is the demo delay 1903 Dutch Colonial Talbott-Wall house proposed to be moved to a new lot on Samuels. 917 and 919 Samuels are two smaller, newer, non-contributing to the historic character rentals. 801 and 815 Bennett were mentioned above and both fall under the 180 day demo delay.  915 Bennett is a 1960's small "cracker box" type dwelling, long vacant, boarded up, and deteriorated. I'd like to know if the references to "on-site concession stand and food trucks" alludes to possible retail which has long been needed on Samuels, or is merely the ordinance language?  The alphabet soup of zoning change requests are needed to comply with current zoning standards for the Samuels Avenue-Rock Island neighborhood. Inclusion of Samuels in the Downtown Design Review standards was announced in November of last year with final City Council approval I believe this month. Among the DDR requirements is a higher density use for new construction (3 stories minimum) with wide sidewalks and new street lighting .  As noted in the Zoning Commission agenda, if approved, the project proposal moves on to the City Council for review and approval on April 19.

 

It's not too difficult to understand the stimulus for new development in the Samuels Avenue-Rock Island neighborhood. Within walking distance and easy bicycle access are the Stockyards to the north and the on-going Trinity River Vision project due west which will be on the banks below the Trinity Bluffs of Samuels Avenue that run parallel to the Trinity River. Ten or more years from now, I envision a seamless extension of the downtown northward to the Stockyards with the new "urban island" being infilled with new bank-side development combined with a town lake and small marina. Of course, visions and reality don't always become one and the same but this process is fairly well along and barring any sudden economic changes, I think it has a fairly good chance to reach completion.

[JBB]

Am I reading this right?  Another drive-in movie establishment?

[pelligrini]

The way I read it all the different zoning types listed are existing on one or more of the listed properties for the Planned Development and the request is to change everything to PD/D (High Density Multifamily)

[John S.]

Update: The Samuels Avenue project proposal brought before the Zoning Commission today was rather anti-climactic. After the project parameters were outlined and presented by Mr. Poole with Townsite Co. the only question raised by a commission member was regarding protection of the heritage Live Oak tree behind 815 Bennett. (due west of Samuels via Locust Street) Assurances were made that it would be saved and retained. (the tree is noted as well in the preliminary project site plan shared by Mr. Poole) Afterwards, the Zoning Change requests went to vote and were approved 8 to zero with one member abstaining. Next comes the City Council review and vote next Tuesday. Mr. Poole mentioned specific details about the rehab and repurposing of the Garvey House (from residential to business use) that would be presented to the Landmarks Commission at the May meeting. Mention was made that a preservation architect was retained as a consultant to insure the rehabilitated Garvey house met preservation guidelines. As a preservationist, I regret that any historic property has to be moved, however, here there is a valid trade-off in that 1. the highly endangered Garvey house gets saved and rehabbed; 2. the important 1903 Talbott-Wall house will be moved but will likely remain on Samuels Avenue thus continuing to contribute to the neighborhood's historic character. In a best case scenario, the two demolition delay structures on Bennett Street may be saved and moved as well depending on conditions. 815 Bennett is but a few feet away from the huge Live Oak tree behind it and the commission member who asked about the tree suggested saving the centuries old tree was more important than moving the house in front of it. I concur, as this small folk Victorian house had been moved to the site in the mid-20th century and lacks major architectural or historical significance. I was pleased that the Zoning Commission proceedings were live streamed via the City website as well as on the Govt. Channel 190 via Charter Cable. I believe it is broadcast again later as well.

[RD Milhollin]

Maybe the city should be working with Mr. Poole to find a suitable site to hold the historic structures he is willing to have moved. Having a "historical block or square", maybe facing the Pioneers Rest Cemetery or situated around the historic tree would be an excellent way to show what "Townsite" would have looked like 100 or more years ago. I am all for progress, and that means more new buildings (hopefully well designed and built to last another 100 years), and developers willing to help with preservation of historic structures and other artifacts should be helped along through a city partnership program of some sort. Um, this sort of thing could probably result in federal tax credits...

[JBB]

I would say that Townsite and Mr. Poole, who does post here occasionally, are pretty well-versed in development in FW and what partnerships and tax credits are available.  I would be surprised if they hadn't explored every possibility and exhausted every resource.  Historic preservation efforts rarely lack vision and innovation.  What they typically lack is enough money.

[John S.]

Although developers are notoriously tight lipped, to the best of my knowledge there continues to be some intense dialog going on between those involved in this project and City officials in various departments. It's almost a given the Talbott-Wall house at 915 Samuels will be relocated to a new site in the coming months. Mention was made at the Zoning Commission meeting yesterday that plans for rehabbing the landmark Garvey House will be presented to the Landmarks Commission for approval soon and perhaps at the same time a plan for moving the Talbott-Wall house will be presented. As for the other two small houses on Bennett Street, (801 and 815) my suggestion would be to offer them for a limited time for a token amount to interested parties (who can prove they have the financial resources for relocation) that wish to move them at their expense subject to the Landmark's Commission review and approval. The smaller of the two houses is quite old and built of inexpensive plank wall (no studs) construction (then wood siding, then vinyl siding) and retains the original two over two sash windows. The foundation is supported by durable Bois D'arc (informally called "bo-dark") posts which are impervious to termites or rot.  Difficult to say if the Stick Style decorative porch elements are original or not as at least one of the turned porch posts was installed upside down. Inside is as devoid of details as an empty shoebox with plain pine door and window casings and thin paneled doors with rim locks As noted previously, it was moved from another location on Samuels in the mid-20th century. The other house has some added exterior ornamental details which the late owner, Mr. Poston, told me he salvaged from an ornate Victorian dismantled in the 1940's that was located on the east side of Samuels between Pavilion Street and Traders Oak Park. Inside, the door and window casings are from the early 20th century so the attribution that the house was the original 1886 home of early Fort Worth blacksmith Richard King does not align with the architectural evidence unless there was a major remodeling in the early 1900's. These two small houses were added to the recommended City demo delay list when a Hwy 121 interchange project through Samuels was considered in the early 1990's but was later cancelled. As JBB notes, I too concur that all available tax credits and preservation incentives have surely been looked at and considered. I shudder to think what the costs for a total rehab of the Garvey House will be but its being presented as a centerpiece of the planned new development.

[AndyN]

As I own a vacant lot 2 blocks away from the project site, I have reached out to Mr. Poole to see if one of the structures might be appropriate for my land. I'm interested in finding out more.

[AndyN]

Hey, John S.,

 

I've got some of the survey map for the proposed development. If you're around some evening this week, I'll be stopping by the Bennett block to look at the structures and wouldn't mind picking your brain.

[John S.]

Hi Andy,

I sent you a PM but the email address I had was old so don't know if you received it or not. There are a number of topics I'd like to discuss concerning the new development. I can be reached:  vintrest at yahoo dot com. My only concerns are about the longer term development prospects. Although I do not think it would happen immediately, it would seem possible that redevelopment might encroach further to the north in years to come and could include Pavilion Street at some point. But I think that is more likely once the Trinity River Project is nearing completion (2020's) than now.

[John S.]

Brief updates...the City Council approved the Zoning Change request and waiver without dissent (from "PD" Planned Development to PD/D to allow higher density.) at yesterday's meeting for the new project. Ahead is a request to Landmarks Commission to approve a rehabilitation plan for the Garvey House. Likely to also come in the days ahead will be a request to move the Talbott-Wall House at 915 Samuels to a designated new site. There has been some individual interest for moving it to Arlington Heights but the least challenging would be to move it to another site in the Samuels Avenue neighborhood.  The small Folk Victorian cottage on Bennett Street (at the corner with Locust) has had some interest from individuals wanting to move it but any inquiries regarding that idea should be directed to Mr. Phillip Poole at the Townsite Company. Their posted website contact information is: info at townsiteco dot com   or, by phone: 817-850-9500. In a perfect outcome, all demolition delay houses would be moved and saved with no loss of historic structures.

In the for what its worth category, we have had inquiries about selling our property (823 Samuels, c. 1888; demolition delay) from sources not affiliated with the Townsite project. We are willing to sell but it must be at a level that is comparable with the lot prices paid in the Townsite Co. project. I've received reliable information about other inquiries being made with other property owners as well as the offer figures being discussed. In the meantime, we sit and watch our neighborhood changing. I hope we can remain long enough to see the Garvey House being saved and renovated as well as it finally being removed from endangered status.  Does anyone know what the Zoning Change Requested public notice sign in the 600 block of Samuels pertains to? That site was previously slated for apartment construction by the Carleton Group but its my understanding it has since sold to another developer. I think inclusion of Samuels Avenue and Rock Island under the Downtown Design Review standards (requiring all new construction to be at least 3 stories in height) opened up the entire neighborhood for redevelopment. While some may lament these changes, the time to stand up and oppose it was a decade ago when development first started on the south end nearest downtown.

[Austin55]

Here's the siteplan they presented to the zoning commission. The Garvey House would have it's front lawn used as a public park and the house would be leasing office.

 

[John S.]

Austin55, thanks for sharing this site plan. It's blurry because maybe it was a screen capture?  I find it curious that with the public meetings and city approvals now mostly completed there hasn't been a formal announcement about the project in our local business media that I'm aware of. As of right now, I don't know what its name will be nor whether this site map is final or preliminary. Those property owners now under contract (our neighbors) have been especially tight-lipped about closing dates and other details. We are, fortunately or unfortunately depending on one's point of view, in the whited-out "U-shape" non-development area represented in the lower middle. That encompasses an entire block (800 block of Samuels) comprising six 50 foot wide by 200 foot deep lots or about 1.5 acres total. It will be interesting to see how things play out in this block when its surrounded by new development.  Should anyone find a better resolution version of this project site map I'd appreciate them sharing and hope an announcement about the project will be made in the coming days. Perhaps the best and most exciting feature of this as yet unbuilt project is that the Garvey House will have a new lease on life and a professionally conducted complete renovation adapting it for office use.  From the map perspective, the focus looks clearly towards the Trinity River while in the past Samuels Avenue street frontage and views were considered more important. Wish I a crystal ball to see what this area will look like a decade from now.

[David_H]

Thanks, John S, I was wondering what that "empty" rectangle on the plan represented. I also hope that we get to see a higher resolution version of the plan.

[John S.]

I wasn't sure where it would be appropriate to post but longtime Samuels Avenue resident (since 1948 as I recall) and former multiple properties owner Marion Burda passed away in a local nursing home. At one time, Mr. Burda owned 30 properties or more on Samuels Avenue and Peach street. Around 2003-2004 he sold 27 properties to a developer in a package deal and this helped launch the new development on Samuels Avenue on the south end. Mr. Burda is to be interred in Brenham, TX where he was born and other family members have been laid to rest.

[Austin55]

Here's a nice and in depth story on Samuels

 

http://www.star-tele...e201197299.html

[John S.]

Forum member and Samuels Avenue resident/advocate, John S., always gets his licks in whenever he can.

 

 

Mr. Burton, I hope you don't mind the quote because I'm back here to get a few more "licks in" before the old neighborhood and our presence in it disappear. As I sit here typing, the sounds of nail guns and heavy equipment reverberate off the bedroom walls. The S-T article seemed fair and balanced overall. The die for Samuels Avenue/Rock Island neighborhood change was cast when the late Marion Burda sold his 27 rental properties to developers back in 2003.  Now, there's no remaining vestige of those 40 or so small cottages and medium size homes that once stood there. At least the distinctive Charles E. Nash Elementary School remains as a historical reference point and reminder of the neighborhood's past. Today, development continues southward with one project by Carleton Properties (to be called "Rocklyn") underway as well as Embrey Development's 353 unit "community" getting close to the halfway mark.

 

I regret that the decision was made to leave us out but hopefully the last wagon out of town hasn't left us forever stranded and alone as the sole homeowners remaining on our block. City planners and Council people would be wise to take into consideration the welfare of longtime homeowners when evaluating future development projects. We had almost no say in the approval process and much of what has occurred since the project broke ground wasn't readily apparent from the documents I've read. On the balance, though, our experience hasn't been too unpleasant although we continue to wish that promised and approved infrastructural work would be completed in a timely manner. The renovation and re-purposing of the Garvey House for offices has nearly reached completion with the new stone retaining wall incorporating large Limestone blocks saved from the original retaining wall. The re-landscaped "Great lawn" seen in early renderings is now beginning to take shape as well. Sometime next year, the Embrey built apartments should be ready for leasing. The smaller "Rocklyn" apartment  project is supposed to be completed around the same time. I would encourage developers now looking around the Samuels neighborhood to consider taking Embrey's innovative approach of adaptive re-use and moving significant historic homes as a model to be followed. If done properly, Samuels Avenue should not fear becoming one monolithic mass of apartments from one end to the other. 

 

I've recently been in contact with the new owner of the Talbott-Wall house and applaud his appreciation for the neighborhood's history and architectural legacy. His goal appears to be to make the Talbott-Wall house as period correct as he can while working on a budget and making the house function as his new home. A shame it took someone coming all the way from Illinois to buy this unique property, but the market for saved and moved historic dwellings in Fort Worth appears to be relatively small. The 1904 turreted Queen Anne Greathouse near the Fairmount-Southside District was quietly lost to demolition for new development several months ago because there were no takers despite a fair amount of media coverage as well as several available financial incentives.

I'm tempted to assume that the stigma against the old Victorian styles of architecture commonly held from the 20th century hasn't completely gone away. Let's hope our few remaining examples from this long ago era will be kept standing because compared to other cities our size, we've lost nearly everything from the 19th century.  I'm old enough to remember when most folks looked at old Victorians and disdainfully called them monstrosities, albatrosses, white elephants and the always favorite: "eyesores". It makes me wonder whether the architecture being built today will suffer from the same level of disrespect as it ages. But most modern architecture is built on the planned obsolescence model. No one expect these apartments now under construction to still be around a century or even 50 years from now. That philosophic stand is one of the major differences between the buildings and homes of the past and today's rapidly built structures. There's no point I'm trying to make except to help understand why things are changing in our oldest of Fort Worth neighborhoods. Let's hope others will give it some thought before its all gone forever. 

[John T Roberts]

John S., from my limited experience with the street as compared to you living there, I think you have nailed it.

[John S.]

Thanks, John. Just yesterday afternoon, a neighbor down the street informed me that a property owner (in the 1000 Samuels  block)  there had sold two of his properties in January and had two others under contract. Another individual who owns a popular downtown convenience store and gas station stopped by and spoke with me as well yesterday. He openly wondered why Samuels Avenue has no retail component.  (pre-development it had two convenience stores and a restaurant) That indicated to me he was thinking about some type of retail venture on the available land in this small neighborhood. He thanked me for the information and said he knew how to contact me. We are not too concerned because as the S-T article indicated, we've been low key marketing our property for (over) a decade. When and if a sale happens, we will deal with the situation then. Not so long ago, old house properties on Samuels were for all practical purposes unmarketable. I have to wonder how many more new apartments will the downtown market require before market saturation occurs? Many of these new downtown apartments have rents equivalent to the mortgage payments in the suburbs so the number of prospective tenants is finite in my opinion. I especially wonder about the new Condo tower near Henderson-conventional wisdom is that the upscale market for downtown condos is fairly small. But that is a topic for another thread so I'll leave that for now. Should further developments take place on Samuels I'll be sure to post updates on this thread.

[Austin55]

 the former David Chapman Bennett/Thomas P. Fenelon House at 731 Samuels. It is among the oldest surviving homes in the city dating from the 1870's. It's also the last remaining example of Fort Worth's Italianate style residences from the Victorian era. The owners have done a remarkable job in bringing the place back and showing how the old houses on Samuels can look with enough investment and TLC. 

Noticed that this home has been listed for sale. Does anyone know if it has any historic protection?

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/731-Samuels-Ave-Fort-Worth-TX/23982425/  

[John T Roberts]

Yes, it is a City of Fort Worth Historic & Cultural Landmark (HC).  It is the only designation that legally protects against demolition.  Before the neighborhood was cannibalized by developers, there were two HC houses, Bennett and Garvey, and 3 Demolition Delay (DD) houses, Riley-Lehane, Talbott-Wall, and Getzendanner.  The rest of the neighborhood had no historic protections.  One change has been made in all of those years.  The Talbott-Wall House was moved to save it, and then the designation was upgraded to HC.  I wrote the designation nomination for it.

 

Back in 2006, along with Kip Wright and Susan Kline, I surveyed the entire neighborhood for a potential local historic district, at the request of Former Councilmember, Wendy Davis, made to Historic Fort Worth.  We identified enough of a contiguous area to have a historic district.  We also identified the 5 houses that we thought should be saved at all costs.  Those were the 5 that had some type of designation on them. 

[Jeriat]

Yes, it is a City of Fort Worth Historic & Cultural Landmark (HC).  It is the only designation that legally protects against demolition.  Before the neighborhood was cannibalized by developers, there were two HC houses, Bennett and Garvey, and 3 Demolition Delay (DD) houses, Riley-Lehane, Talbott-Wall, and Getzendanner.  The rest of the neighborhood had no historic protections.  One change has been made in all of those years.  The Talbott-Wall House was moved to save it, and then the designation was upgraded to HC.  I wrote the designation nomination for it.

 

Back in 2006, along with Kip Wright and Susan Kline, I surveyed the entire neighborhood for a potential local historic district, at the request of Former Councilmember, Wendy Davis, made to Historic Fort Worth.  We identified enough of a contiguous area to have a historic district.  We also identified the 5 houses that we thought should be saved at all costs.  Those were the 5 that had some type of designation on them. 

So this can only be residential or can this become something else, while keeping the structure intact? 

[JBB]

It's being marketed and is zoned as multifamily.  I imagine it's a similar situation to the Garvey property where the house is used in conjunction with the multifamily component.

[John T Roberts]

The historic overlays don't regulate base zoning.  The Garvey House is a good example of converting the old home into apartment rental offices.  The current use is not residential, it is office, yet the historic overlay remains in place.  The base zoning for the Bennett House is "D" - High Density Multi-family.  With the current base zoning, it could be any type of residential, still leaving the structure intact.  If they wanted to convert it into something else, the owners would have to seek a change in the base zoning. 

[JBB]

You said what I was trying to say and made it make more sense.

[John T Roberts]

The developers of The Kelly did change the zoning of the Garvey House to PD - Planned Development to add a little more protection on the building.  In a PD, you specify only the uses that can be put into that piece of property. 

[Austin55]

It appears that there are plans of some sort in the works for the David Chapman Bennett/Thomas P. Fenelon House at 731 Samuels. From the upcoming zoning cases map,

 

 

Case: ZC-22-141

Date: September 14, 2022 @ 1:00 PM

Site Location: 731 Samuels Avenue

Request: from "D/HC" High-Density Multifamily with Historical/Cultural Overlay to "PDH/HC" Planned Development for all uses in "H" Central Business plus single-family, brew pub, distillery

[Dismuke]

Does anybody know the status of 823 Samuels Avenue?  This was the circa 1888 Victorian house that was owned by John S who was active in this thread up until 2018 and whose profile says he logged in last in December 2021. He posted here on a number of occasions over the years his intention to sell the house at what he believed to be a fair price and move elsewhere.  Today I noticed that the windows on the house and the house next to it have been boarded up.  Other than that, it didn't appear to have been neglected.  It occurs to me that perhaps the boarded up windows are a bad sign and an indication of impending demolition. Or, perhaps, they were put up to protect the house from vandals so that it might either be moved or restored.  It is definitely worth saving.  Some of the architectural detail work on the house is quite amazing.  And being from around 1888, it is one of the very few houses in Fort Worth that remain from that era and is certainly among the oldest houses in the city. 

[Nitixope]

Hi Dismuke!  I did a quick code violation search but limited on time this morning.  Here's what I found but in case I missed something, one can also download the data set as .csv and open / filter the data in Excel.  I'll try to check back later but, it appears the surrounding properties have similar violations with property maintenance and high grass / weeds. I did not see any recent permit requests either including demo or grading.
 
City's website data set: https://data.fortwor...tions/spnu-bq4u
 

[JBB]

Just glancing at TAD, it looks like that house and the 2 to the south sold to a builder in October of 2020.

[John T Roberts]

Dismuke, John S did sell the house to a developer, and he relocated to another state.  Historic Fort Worth got involved and tried to find a lot in the neighborhood that was wide enough for which to relocate the house.  Our efforts were unsuccessful in finding that lot (100 feet wide).  Since we couldn't find a lot that was large enough to move the house, we more or less gave up. 

 

I do agree with you in that there is some excellent detailing and the house should be saved, we didn't have enough resources available to us to move it anywhere but within the neighborhood.  After that point, we decided that maybe someone else could step in and do something. 

[Austin55]

 

It appears that there are plans of some sort in the works for the David Chapman Bennett/Thomas P. Fenelon House at 731 Samuels. From the upcoming zoning cases map,

 

 

Case: ZC-22-141

Date: September 14, 2022 @ 1:00 PM

Site Location: 731 Samuels Avenue

Request: from "D/HC" High-Density Multifamily with Historical/Cultural Overlay to "PDH/HC" Planned Development for all uses in "H" Central Business plus single-family, brew pub, distillery

 

More details: 
 

The site is located on the west side of Samuels Avenue with the West Fork Trinity River to the west. It is within the Rock Island/Samuels Avenue Neighborhood Character Zone of the Downtown Urban Design District. It also has a Historic Overlay on the site. The site is surrounded by the Downtown Mixed-Use Growth Center, and while the lot is not labeled with this designation itself, the adjacent property to the south is labeled as the Downtown Mixed-Use Growth Center. The property has been used as a single family home. The house, built around 1865, is known as the David Chapman Bennett house. Since 1997, the current owners began restoring the house to its current condition. The applicant plans to use the house as a wine and craft beer tasting room. The adaptive reuse of this historic home offers the opportunity to bring new life into the building and an opportunity for the adjacent neighbors and wider community to enjoy the beauty and history of this grand structure. It also adds a walkable entertainment venue to the district. There are no plans to alter or demolish any of the buildings on the property or to remove any of the large trees. Current patio areas will be enlarged and new outdoor spaces created to activate and engage the street and pedestrian corridor.

 

https://www.fortwort...4-22-docket.pdf

[Urbndwlr]

Does anybody (maybe connected w/ Historic FW) keep a list of sites where historic houses slated for demolition, might be relocated?

Seems time is the enemy of that happening, so if a dedicated individual could keep a list of sites (vacant lots in appropriate locations) where the house might be moved.  Ideally would be a permanent move, but could also help to have a temporary landing spot while it awaits a new site.

 

I realize many houses arent structurally moveable and that the path or route matters. 

 

Another helpful piece would be to have a vetted list of contractors who are an easy resource for the new owner to call to see who can work on it.

 

(this might belong in a different thread)

[John T Roberts]

Historic Fort Worth does not keep a list of sites where historic houses could be moved.  Many of these houses require special lots with dimensions more specific to the house. Another issue with relocating these houses is that the Texas Historical Commission has determined that if the house is moved out of its neighborhood, it could possibly lose its historic designation.  Also, we have found that many of the lots where these houses will fit, are not for sale.  Of course, everything is for sale at the right price, but we have found that if HFW pays what the owner wants, it puts everything else about saving the house beyond our financial reach. 

 

Yes, you are correct about some houses can't survive a move and the path matters.  If a lot of utilities have to be relocated for the move, that significantly increases the cost of the move. 

 

The organization does have a preferred list of contractors, and we have referred owners of historic houses to them.

 

We also have to pick our battles.  Over on Samuels Avenue, when we surveyed the neighborhood for a possible historic district that never was created, we identified the five most important houses in the neighborhood that couldn't be lost.  So far, we have been involved in saving four of the five.  The one that we couldn't save, was the one where there wasn't a lot wide enough available in the neighborhood that was for sale.