Hidden Gardens of Fort Worth Tour 2009
Tour six charming, very private gardens in the Ridglea neighborhood. Saturday, June 13, 2009 9 am – 3 pm and Sunday, June 14, 2009 12 pm – 4 pm. rain or shine. Admission: $15 in advance and $20 on tour days. Tickets available at:
Into the Garden
4600 Dexter
Archie’s Gardenland
6700 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Dorian’s Inerior Designs
2701 S. Hulen St.
ABOUT RIDGLEA
The Ridglea area is characterized by rolling hills, trees and curving streets which make this neighborhood both peaceful and a delightful place to live just six miles west of Fort Worth’s Central Business district. Luther Lake, a neighborhood focal point, is beautiful all year long but becomes a special attraction during the holiday season with the reflection of lights on the water. M.E. Berney, a partner in the Anderson-Berney Realty Company, established the golf course in 1935. Golfers were charged 50 cents in 1938 to play the semi-public course.
Clayton Road encircles the neighborhood and is named for its developer who is credited with being “The Father of Ridglea.” Clayton (A. C.) Luther came to Fort Worth from Tennessee in the 1920s and bought three miles of prime ‘pasture land’ property at $400 an acre along what later became Camp Bowie Boulevard. J.T. Luther later joined his brother in Fort Worth. Both brothers and Earl Wilson, formed the A.C. Luther Realty Company and Luther Bros. & Wilson, Inc. Residential areas were platted in 1946 and luxurious homes sold to oil tycoons.
In 1952, The Luthers and Wilson dissolved the company and formed the Ridglea Construction Company to begin constructing high quality commercial buildings along the north side of Camp Bowie Blvd. Their first tenant, Gordon Boswell Florist, is still there. A popular 1950s gathering place, the Western Hills Hotel owned by Hank Green, stood on the south side of the 6400 block of Camp Bowie Boulevard until it burned in 1969. Hank Green also built the Green Oaks Inn, and together with Luther, the Ridglea Country Club, in 1954.Homes in the Ridglea neighborhood are mostly single-story ranch style with integrated or attached garages, the most popular housing style during the mid-20th century. Although these houses can vary greatly in appearance, they are generally known for their low-pitched roofs and sprawling forms suited to larger lot sizes.