Top O the Terrace - Arlington Texas
N 32° 44.313 W 097° 09.451
14S E 672635 N 3623804
Top O The Terrace is a former gambling hall / casino that entertained some of Fort Worth most notable characters. With profits from this location it is said that Benny Binion left and built the Horseshoe casino in Las Vegas.
Waymark Code: WM7D66
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/08/2009
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Long before Las Vegas came into its prime as a premiere gaming center, Top O’Hill Terrace was considered the most luxurious “gambling establishment” in the U.S. The property itself was located on land outside of any city limits, in unincorporated Tarrant County. The first structure was originally built on the property by Beulah Marshall in the early 1920s as a fine dining establishment for wealthy patrons, offering dinner and afternoon tea in its lovely tea garden which offered a fantastic view from its 1,000 foot high vantage point. The property had an excellent business location with easy access to the rich who could drive from either Fort Worth or Dallas on the Bankhead Highway.
In 1926, Fred Browning of Fort Worth purchased the property and quickly began unusual renovations, moving the tearoom structure from its foundations to excavate for a basement double the size of the tearoom to serve as an underground gambling casino, and then returned the structure to its original spot. Patrons turned off the highway down a 900 foot driveway to a large parking lot behind the building. At the peak of its popularity, customers collectively exhausted a quarter million dollars on a weekend of gaming in the slot machines, crap and blackjack tables, and roulette wheels. A brothel was also operated on the grounds along with the casino.
In 1933, Jack Poe began working at Top O’Hill when he was just 13 years old, first in the horse stables on the property and later in the casino. He took a second job at a dog track just down the road from Top O’Hill Terrace. He actually met Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, when they sought admission to Top O’Hill in hopes of garnering some gambling profits on their stolen loot. Owner Browning allowed the two admission to the casino, so long as they didn’t bring their guns.
When Browning built his underground casino, his plans included ways to thwart potential raids by law enforcement. He created a hidden room in which to stash the gambling equipment and an underground tunnel through which his gambling patrons could escape into the nearby woods or reappear topside in the tea garden, sipping tea. The operation continued to feature a legitimate restaurant and tearoom as a cover, and the successful gambling operation continued at Top O’Hill Terrace until 1947, when Texas Ranger Captain M. T. Gonzuallas led a raid which finally caught the casino running full force. Benny Binion, a partner in Top O’Hill Terrace, reportedly left with his profits in 1949 to build his Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada where gambling had been legalized in 1931.
The property now is a part of Arlington Baptist College, bought in 1956 by the Bible Baptist Seminary. Top O’Hill Terrace was graced with a Texas Historic Landmark marker in 1984.