S.W. corner Fourth and Commerce streets (500 Commerce Street), Dunn’s “Mansion” Garage, 1924; 1935; 1990. Dunn’s “Mansion” Garage took its name from the Mansion Hotel which occupied this site from 1876 until it was destroyed by fire in 1920. The Mansion was one of Fort Worth’s premier hotels and, according to a story told by Bascom H. Dunn, son of the hotel’s founder, was the site of Fort Worth’s first bathtub – a crude wooden affair leakproofed with tar. In 1924 Bascom Dunn had the ruins of the hotel razed and arranged with contractor Walter G. Hollingsworth to construct a three story brick and rein- 1981 photograph forced concrete garage on the site. Three additional floors were added in 1935. Dunn ran the garage for only one year. It was operated by a subsequent series of managers and owners as Gregory Mansion Garage, Tom Bailey’s Garage, Shepherd’s Garage, City Parking Garage, and A.P.C.O.A. Garage. The facility was used primarily for parking and auto repair facilities through the late 1980s with a series of retail shops in the smaller street level spaces. Gainsco Insurance undertook a major renovation of the building in 1990, converting several of the floors to office use. Cauble Hoskins Architects designed the project, and Sedalco was the general contractor. Prior to the renovation, which significantly changed the original character of the building, the garage was potentially eligible for the National Register.
