William J. Bryce House | |
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| Location | 4900 Bryce Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas |
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| Coordinates | 32°45′32″N97°19′38″W / 32.75889°N 97.32722°W Coordinates: 32°45′32″N97°19′38″W / 32.75889°N 97.32722°W |
| NRHP reference # | 84001965 [1] |
| RTHL # | 1556 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 1, 1984 |
| Designated RTHL | 1983 |
The William J. Bryce House, known as Fairview, is located on 4900 Bryce Avenue in Fort Worth, in the U.S. state of Texas. [2] [3]
Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the 15th-largest city in the United States and fifth-largest city in Texas. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly 350 square miles (910 km2) into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According to the 2017 census estimates, Fort Worth's population is 874,168. Fort Worth is the second-largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, which is the 4th most populous metropolitan area in the United States.
Texas is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Geographically located in the South Central region of the country, Texas shares borders with the U.S. states of Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the southwest, while the Gulf of Mexico is to the southeast.
William J. Bryce was born in Scotland in 1861. He immigrated to the United States, and in 1883 settled in Fort Worth. As a brickmason by training, he began working in the building trades in Fort Worth, and in 1907 established the Bryce Building Company. In 1925, he was elected to the city council; two years later, he was elected mayor, and held the office until his resignation in 1933, necessitated by his wife's failing health. Bryce died in 1944. [2] [3]
Bryce built the Fairview house in the Arlington Heights neighborhood of Fort Worth in 1893, after a design by Fort Worth architectural firm Messer, Sanguinet, and Messer. Following the firm's dissolution in 1895, design partner Marshall Sanguinet established a new firm in partnership with engineer Carl Staats; at about this time, he achieved the status of "the city's preeminent architect". [3]
Fairview is a two-story masonry house that faces south on a large lot. Its design is a manifestation of the interest in French Renaissance architecture, particularly in chateaux, among late-19th-century American architects. The building is for the most part square in plan, with a steeply pitched slate hip roof and gabled dormers. A smaller wing extends to the rear, and a carriage house of similar design stands to the rear. [3]
French Renaissance architecture is a style which was prominent between the 15th and early 17th centuries in the Kingdom of France. It succeeded French Gothic architecture. The style was originally imported from Italy by the French kings Charles VIII, Louis XII, and François I. Several notable royal châteaux in this style were built in the Loire Valley; notably the Chateau d'Amboise, the Chateau of Blois, the Chateau of Gaillon, and the Chateau of Chambord, and, closer to Paris, the Chateau of Fontainebleau.
The house was altered somewhat by its second owner, in the 1940s, but retained much of its original character. It was listed as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1983, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. [1] [2] [3]
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas. RTHL is a legal designation and the highest honor the state can bestow on a historic structure. Purchase and display of a historical marker is a required component of the RTHL designation process. Because it is a legal designation, owners of RTHL-designated structures must give 60 days notice before any alterations are made to the exterior of the structure. Changes that are unsympathetic may result in removal of the designation and historical marker. There are over 3600 RTHL structures throughout the state.
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.
