Neighborhood: Central Business District

308-310 Houston Street, Commercial Building/Caravan of Dreams Performing Arts Center, c. 1887; 1981-82; 1991.  According to historic Sanborn Fire Insurance maps and city directory records, this pair of two-story brick Victorian commercial buildings was constructed about 1887.  Frederick A. Boerner, a jeweler, was the first tenant at 308 Houston St. that same year.  A wide … Read more

312-314 Houston Street, Commercial Building/Caravan of Dreams Performing Arts Center, c. 1884-85; 1981-82; 1991. One of the earliest extant commercial structures in Fort Worth (see also CBD 84, 111, 118), this two-story stone Victorian commercial building was probably built around 1884-85. City directory records show that the first tenant, James B. Grigsby and Jane Bondurant’s … Read more

315 Houston Street, City National Bank Building, c. 1884•85; c. 1910; 1981. Erected from plans by Fort Worth architects Haggart and Sanguinet on the northeast corner of Houston and Third streets about 1884-85, the City National Bank Building is one of Fort Worth’s oldest commercial structures (see also CBD 83, 111, 118).  Its appearance today … Read more

406-408 Houston Street, J.C. Penney Co./ Fakes and Co., 1929; 1937;1989.  Rebuilt after a major fire destroyed the old J.C. Penney store in January 1929, this three-story red brick building housed Penney’s downtown location from 1929 until 1946.  Fakes and Co., a furniture store, occupied the building when Penneys left and remained here until 1967.  … Read more

410-412 Houston Street [NR], Sanger Building/J.C. Penney Co., 1928-29; 1943; 1986.  In 1928 Sanger Brothers, which had only recently built another store building at 515 Houston St. (CBD 88), started construction on this showplace building.  Fort Worth architect Wyatt e. Hedrick designed the Spanish Renaissance Revival structure which was erected by Wohlfield and Witt, contractors.  … Read more

501 Houston Street, F.W. Woolworth Co., 1926; 1954.  Adjoining the newly completed Sanger Brothers store (CBD 88) on the east side of Houston St., the EW Woolworth Co. building was constructed on land purchased by J.J. Jarvis in 1872 and leased by Woolworth in 1925 from the Jarvis family.  Architect Wiley G. Clarkson, who also … Read more

515 Houston Street [NR*/Sky(NR)], Sanger Brothers/Meacham’s Department Store/ Color Tile Building, 1924-25; c. 1977; 1981-82.  Constructed in 1924-25, on land owned by Lennie and John I. Jarvis, Sanger Brothers opened this new store building on August 29, 1925 to an enthusiastic public response.  Among other services, the store featured an indoor putting green and a … Read more

 601 Houston Street, Lerner Shops, 1946-47.  Originally home to two of Fort Worth’s leading clothing and dry goods stores, The Fair (1895-1930) and Cox’s (1933-46), this 1895 building was completely remodeled in 1946-47 to house Lerner Shops, a women’s clothing merchant. Wiley G. Clarkson, a Fort Worth architect, was in charge of the project. The … Read more

 609 Houston Street, Pangburn’s Chocolate Shop/Baker’s Shoe Store/Goldstein Brothers, c. 1905; c. 1934.  The appearance of this turn-of-the-century commercial building is due to a remodeling undertaken about 1934 when Baker’s Shoe Store took over space formerly occupied by Pangburn’s Chocolate Shop. Baker’s was located here through the early 1960s, followed by a series of jewelry … Read more