City of Fort Worth, TX

06/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/30/2024 10:13

Parts of Butler Place community tagged for historic preservation

Parts of Butler Place community tagged for historic preservation

Published on June 30, 2024

Two buildings in the former Butler Place public housing community and a nearby school that served Fort Worth's Black community for decades will be preserved as Historic and Cultural Landmarks.

The City Council recently approved the designations, sought by owner Fort Worth Housing Solutions. The City's Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission approved the designations in February.

  • The designation covers buildings at 1715-1750 and 1801-1825 Stephenson St., which represent examples of public housing architecture associated with Butler Place.
  • And, a former school at 1201 E. 13th St., built in 1909 to serve the African American community. The historically and culturally significant building was once I.M. Terrell High School, but later became Carver-Hamilton Elementary School.

Why it matters: The City and Fort Worth Housing Solutions negotiated a memorandum of agreement with the Texas State Historic Preservation officer for the designation as a way to mitigate adverse impacts of redevelopment on historic resources associated with Butler Place.

What's next: Fort Worth Housing Solutions wants to sell the property for redevelopment.

The bigger picture: Having the designation means the property will be eligible for a 10-year property tax freeze if a substantial rehabilitation project is undertaken on the structures. The properties will also be eligible for state and federal preservation tax credits if rehabilitation is undertaken. However, any exterior work to the property is subject to Secretary of the Interior standards, as well as approval from the Landmarks Commission or the City's historic preservation officer.

By the numbers:

  • More than 400 apartments were built as part of Butler Place at the end of the Great Depression in 1939.
  • The last of the residents moved out in 2020.
  • The 42-acre former public housing site is bounded by I-30, I-35 and Hwy. 287, east of downtown in Council District 8.
  • Fort Worth Housing Solutions had its office in the school building from 1995-2022.

Photo:The last of the Butler Place residents moved out in 2020. Fort Worth Housing Solutions wants to sell the property for redevelopment.

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