815 Grove Street [NR/WSHD(NR)], Axtell Co./Fort Worth Poultry & Egg, 1916. This building was constructed in 1916 as the factory for the Axtell Co., manufacturers of windmills, drilling machinery, water well and plumbing supplies, and other equipment for farms and rancl:Ies. The firm, founded in 1901, was headed by Fred W. Axtell. In 1906, it began to produce windmills, the product for which it was best known. Axtell Co. was active here through the mid-1950s. In the mid-1960s, Fort Worth Poultry & Egg took over the building. The firm operated here through the early 1980s, along with a related business, Collier Industries, a margarine manufacturer. In 1991 the building was vacant and for sale. The four-story reinforced concrete structure has a straightforward structural concrete grid infilled with brick and industrial metal sash windows. The ground floor has been altered by the application of an aggregate siding. The building resembles the industrial designs of Albert Kahn from the same period and was an extremely “modern” looking design for Fort Worth at that time. The Axtell Co. factory appears to be individually eligible for the National Register for its architectural qualities and is a contributor to the potential Warehouse South National Register Historic District.
