Today, the Garvey-Veihl House is the office and clubhouse for an upscale apartment complex, Kelley at Samuels Ave, and this is one of three signs standing near the house. It reads:
The Samuels Avenue Neighborhood is the oldest neighborhood in the City of Fort Worth. The neighborhood is a product of the rapid growth of the City's economy and population during the late part of the Victorian Era (1837-1901) and early 20th century. The scenic area offered prime real estate along the Trinity River bluffs and a short commute to local businesses and factories.
While distinct, high-style architectural landmarks from the Italianate, Victorian, and Colonial styles are present within the Samuels Avenue neighborhood, the majority of the neighborhood's architectural cohesion is comprised of more common architectural styles like Folk Victorian and vernacular Craftsman Bungalows. Between 1870 and 1910, the Folk Victorian was one of the most common types of homes built in America. These homes were typically small and simple in design, but commonly had distinct artistic character through decorative detailing on the porches, window cornices, and eaves. Two examples of the Folk Victorian style within the neighborhood were located at the 815 and 901 Bennett Street addresses within the Kelley at Samuels Avenue footprint.
There are inset photos of the aforementioned houses at 815 and 901 Bennett Street, referring to them in the past tense, which suggests they are no more. They are viewable on a Google Maps Street View from 2014. The captions read:
Below: The Heritage Oak is one of the oldest remaining trees within Fort Worth. This live oak dates back to the early-1800s.
Above: The house at 815 Bennett Street was a charming representation of the Folk Victorian style. The L-plan house had a delicate porch and window hoods reminiscent of stick-style detailing. This house stood near this location under Heritage Oak.
In 1854, Richard H. King, the first civilian blacksmith in Fort Worth, arrived in the area as part of a wagon caravan. King built and lived in a Folk Victorian style house at 901 Bennett Street. The home was accented by turned posts and heavy scroll-sawn window brackets.
The other half of the sign is devoted to the Talbott-Wall House, which was spared from demolition when this apartment complex-community was built, and it reads:
Workers and immigrants finding employment at the Armour and Swift plants and cattle stock yards around the turn of the 20th century began to settle in the neighborhoods conveniently located near their places of work. Despite the population shift, a few additional prominent Fort Worth citizens still built houses along Samuels Avenue. In 1898, a small house at 915 Samuels Avenue, was bought by Dr. Richard D. Talbott, a physician from Ohio.
Dr. Talbott had the home demolished and constructed an elegant Dutch Colonial Revival style house on the property in 1903. The house was characterized by its distinguished gambrel roof with dormer windows, symmetrical façade, and classical columns lining the full-width front porch.
Unlike many of the other properties west of Samuels Avenue, the Talbott property line did not extend to the Trinity River and is a great representation of the neighborhood's transition from the more affluent socio-economic makeup to one comprised of the professional and working class.
During the design phase of the Kelley at Samuels Ave community, Embrey Partners took their preservation stance one step further. Through coordination with state and federal agencies, Embrey was able to successfully relocate the Talbott-Wall House to the 1102 Samuels Avenue and avoid its demolition. The Talbott-Wall House relocation would not have been possible without the assistance of Historic Fort Worth, Inc., who was instrumental in obtaining funding and orchestrating the relocation process.
Inset photos show Dr. Richard Talbott admiring his new home in 1903, and "moving day" for the house when it was moved to its new location in 2017.