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The Firestone
Service Building
Built 1929 - Remodelled 1997
Photo courtesy Sam
Fenstermacher, Jan. 2006 |
The Firestone
Service Store
Seventh and Henderson
Streets near downtown Fort Worth.
The Firestone building was constructed in 1929, and was part of Fort
Worth's original “Automobile Row.” In the "Roaring '20s"
car dealerships lined Seventh Street from Henderson Street west to
Summit Avenue. |
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The
Firestone Building was saved in a 1997 project to develop the 350-unit
Firestone Community. The building was repaired and today functions
as the office and community center for the Firestone Apartment Complex.
Notable are two original Firestone signs that were left intact. |
| Unfortunately
other old buildings in the neighborhood, many dating back to the 1920s
and 1930s have been demolished. In January of 2006, demolition was
delayed on the former Smith-Swinney Motor Company building.. |
The
Smith-Swinney Motor Company Building
1927 - 2006?
This
building is directly across the street from the Firestone Building.
It was constructed in 1927 to house the Smith-Swinney Motor Company
which sold Hudson and Essex automobiles. It was one of the car dealerships
that lined Seventh Street for several blocks between Summit Ave. and
Henderson Street.
The current owners of the property sought permission from the City
of Fort Worth to demolish the building. The building lacks a roof
and is generally in bad repair. According to an article in the January
12, 2006 (page D1) Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the city delayed demolition
of the building for six months in hopes of finding a use for the property.
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According to
the newspaper article, the prospects for this building are not good.
My own observation is that quite often historic buildings like this
one get torn down to make way for parking lots and fast-food restaurants.
That will very likely be this building's final chapter.
© Sam
Fenstermacher, February, 2006
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| Anyone
wishing to share information, memories or photos of Fort Worth Texas
or Texas gas stations, please email history@texasescapes.com |
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