Historical Buildings of Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth, TX is rich in history and has numerous buildings and homes listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

The Flatiron Building designed by Sanguinet and Staats in 1907 was one of the earliest skyscrapers in the Southwest and at the time of its construction was one of the tallest buildings in North Texas.

The Blackstone Hotel at 601 Main Street is less than one acre and has a history of architectural and engineering. The architectural style was Modern Movement and the area of significance was in commerce and architecture. Its period of notoriety was from 1925-1949 and a building was added on to the hotel in 1984.

The Electric Building which had an addition made to it in 1995 is where my ex-boyfriend Jon moved years after the facility was made into apartments. It was also known as the Fort Worth Power and Light Building and Texas Electric Service C. Its location is 410 W. 7th Street and it now teems with yuppies and kids with some pets tossed in for good measure as tenants bustle in and out throughout the day and night. The style is Art Deco and its historic function was commerce/trade, recreation, and culture. It was once a business as a theater.

"We love it here," said one resident, part of a couple who recently moved there with their small dog.

I got the privilege of being in the Fort Worth Club Building on two occasions. Built in 1916 a building was added on to it in 1998. Located at 608-610 Main Street its historic significance is to hold events. Its period of popularity was from 1900-1924 and 1925-1949. It's an attraction for organizations and professional outfits used for business and as a clubhouse. The buffet in the cafeteria is one of a kind and delicious.

I rode by the James E. Guinn School for years looking at the boarded up windows of the old place and imagining things that used to go on there. Then one day it was refurbished and made into a home for the Fort Worth Business Assistance Center. Located at 1200 South Freeway just off the interstate near downtown it is made up of three buildings on 45 acres. There were multiple architects, engineers and builders for the Classical Revival style building. Its peak periods were 1925-1949 and 1950-1974. The local government owns it now.

The 2 ½-story Tudor Revival apartments on Jennings features such hallmarks of the style as steeply pitched gabled roofs and stucco and half-timbering ornamentation. Renovations on these were made in 2004.

An African-American family's 140-year-old neighborhood is Fort Worth's newest historic district.

"This land has not been touched by anybody except Indians and us," says Andrew Sanders, Jr., whose great-grandfather, Major Cheney, was heir to a land grant of 300 acres that dated back to the 1840s when Texas was a Republic.

The past few months have been busy for Cheney's relatives, about 250 of them who still live in the DFW area, including 15 to 20 residents of Carson Street.

Sanders owes his fascination with his family's past to his great-great aunt Dollie Cheney, a spellbinding storyteller who taught him to read.