Called at one time the world’s leading horse and mule dealer, Waddy R. Ross was a self-made millionaire who made his fortune by supplying horses and mules during both world wars. Arriving in Fort Worth in 1905, he and his brothers established the Ross Brothers Horse and Mule Co. Purchasing three lots in 1917 at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Park Avenue, Ross is said to have hired a local architect to design his house. A monumental, two and a half story house overlooking the West Fork of Trinity River, it is of generally rectangular plan flanked by offset gabled wings, a porte-cochere and a conservatory bay. A blocky, projecting portico forms the entry for the house, which is faced in dark purple- brown brick. Gable ends and one dormer window are clad in stucco, half-timbered trim, and decorative brackets. Although the house has gone through a series of owners and tenants, the exterior remains untouched. Unique among North Side houses, it is more typical of the elaborate, large- scale dwellings constructed on Elizabeth Boulevard on the South Side for cattle barons and other prominent figures. The Ross House appears to be eligible for National Register listing and also contributes to the proposed Grand Avenue National Register Historic District.
