209 W Eighth Street [RTHL/NR], The Atelier Building, c. 1905; 1980-81. The Atelier Building was built about 1905. Hunter-Phelan Savings Bank and Trust Co., a private bank, occupied the ground floor and architects Steward Weymss-Smith and Lucius G. Schenk (Smith and Schenk) had their offices on the second floor. Smith and Schenk reportedly gave the building its name. The term “atelier” refers to an artist’s or designer’s studio. Although there is no firm documentation, Smith and Schenk are believed to be the building’s architects. In the years that followed, the building housed other financial institutions, real estate and insurance offices, and a restaurant. In 1936, when the Fort Worth Public Library building (CBD 158) was under construction, the Atelier Building served as a temporary location for the Carnegie Library.
The Atelier Building is distinguished by its delicate scale and handsome cast stone ornamentation. “The Atelier” is inscribed on an entablature above the second story windows. The hipped roof and two square chimneys at the front of the structure are unusual for a downtown commercial building. In 1980 the building was purchased by L. Cameron Alread, an architect. His firm restored the building’s exterior and returned the space to use as an architect’s office. The Atelier Building was designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1980. It was declared eligible for the National Register in 1984, but has not been formally listed.