About Park Hill

Today, over 140 homes sit on a hill above the Fort Worth Zoo in Southwest Fort Worth. The Park Hill Addition opened at a time of prosperity and intense commercial development in Fort Worth. The discovery of oil in 1917-1918 had begun the rapid expansion of the city into a major metropolitan center, and it became home to many newly wealthy individuals involved in the petroleum industry and the professions that serviced it. The graceful design of the Park Hill Addition, distinctive by its hill top location, curving streets and defining wall, made the development of an instant success.

In 1925 the Fairmount Land Company platted and dedicated the Park Hill Addition. The prestigious firm of Hare & Hare Landscape Architects and City Planners of Kansas City, Missouri (designers of Fort Worth’s Botanic Garden) was hired as design consultants and the design and survey was done by the local firm of Brookes Baker. Construction on the streets and utilities began and in 1926 the first homes were opened.

In 1918, well ahead of Park Hill’s residential plan, the Fort Worth Free Baby Hospital opened on land donated by William C. Bryce, president of Fairmount Land. The hospital was a one-story structure on the west side of the street at the current intersection of Winton Terrace West and Wescott. In 1923 the facility merged with Fort Worth Children’s Hospital and a second story was added. The hospital was later renamed Cook Children’s hospital and opened its location on Lancaster Ave.

In addition to its premier location, the Park Hill project benefitted from the talents and reputations of three individuals: William Bryce, William Craton Guthrie, and Joseph Pelich.

That the Park Hill Addition was an immediate success is best illustrated by this quote from the September 8, 1928 edition of the Fort Worth Press. “ With construction started recently on $70.,000 and $50,000 homes, Park Hill, placed on the market two years ago by W. C. Guthrie, is fast becoming dotted with fine residences. These two homes will bring the total residences to 50.”

Unfortunately, the stock market crash of 1929 was only a year away. Park Hill lot sales and home construction ceased in the early 1930’s and, as fortunes reversed, many residents were unable to hold on to their homes. The Wortld War II post war boom saw some new homes in the area, but it was not until the 1960’s that Park Hill regained its current desirability.

On Sunday, November 4 2001, Park Hill celebrated its 75th anniversary as a neighborhood. Over 200 current and former Park Hill residents toured many of the historic homes and met for dinner and reminiscences at the Botanic Garden conservatory.

(Park Hill History compiled by Holt Daniel and Bill Benge)