Cobb House, 1615 Sunset Terrace
Built by Mrs. L. D. Cobb shortly after the dedication of Sunset Avenue in 1905, the house at 1615 Sunset Terrace, as the street was renamed about 1924, is one of 7 single-family homes remaining in the small residential enclave on the western edge of downtown. The house was acquired by Laurie and Quentin McGown in 1991 after sitting empty and open to the elements for nearly three years. While ongoing repair and rehabilitation projects over the years kept the house stable, a recently completed project has brought the City of Fort Worth landmark and contributing structure in the National Register-eligible neighborhood to closely resemble its appearance at the time of construction.
Beginning nearly four years ago, this recent project started with a leveling of the house. Piers were strengthened and new supports were added where originals had decayed. Once the leveling project was completed, interior work included floor refinishing, plaster repair, and repainting. This work also involved a partial reconstruction of the south wall of the house, and the replication of the original three-light dining room window that had been removed during a prior ownership period in the 1960s. With the structural work completed, the final phase of work involved repairing termite damage to the diagonal board cladding and replacing the damaged cedar planking on the exterior of the south façade as well as the extremely weathered cedar shingling on the second story. Once the new exterior elements were in place, the house was repainted to match as closely as possible and practical the original color scheme. The house at 1615 Sunset Terrace now stands much as it would have appeared to Emma Cobb when she built it circa 1906.