Oakhurst opened in 1924 as a garden suburb only eight minutes from Main Street but with “every delightful advantage of the country,” according to a 1920s promotional brochure. The developer of the Oakhurst development, John P. King, was a prominent Fort Worth businessman who started the Southern Ice and Storage Co. and the King Candy Co. King was also a director of the Fort Worth National Bank and Fort Worth Power and Light Co. The Oakhurst Land Co. helped families purchasing lots in the subdivision to “plan, build and finance their homes.” The subdivision offered substantial lots (60 x 180 feet) for as little as $650. Basically planned on a grid, Bluebonnet Avenue forms the curving western boundary which lends this part of the development a picturesque ambience. According to the company’s promotional material, large native trees, ex-tensive landscaping by the firm Hare and Hare, fine homes and excellent soil conditions made Oakhurst one of Fort Worth’s most valued residential areas. The paired entrance gates at Daisy Lane and N. Sylvania Avenue are square classical designs with recessed panels and the name “Oakhurst” set into the capital atop the larger columns closest to the corner. A ball finial surmounts both the large and small columns.
