What were you doing in 1907? Probably nothing yet as that would make you around 115 years old. Here is what was going on in the world in 1907
- Albert Einstein begins to apply laws of gravity to Theory of Relativity
- UPS is founded
- First taxicabs are used in London
- The first “ball drop” is used in Times Square in New York City
- Oklahoma becomes the 46th state in the United States
Meanwhile in Fort Worth, the Gunhild Weber House was the first home built in a subdivision called Swastika Place (not referred by that name much these days) in the neighborhood now commonly described as Fairmount. The home, also known as the Berry-Weber House was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1978.
Built by D.T. Bomar and John W. Broad, in the West Coast-influenced Craftsman style from the Arts and Crafts movement, the interior displays many elements of that design, including built-in window seats and box-beamed ceilings. Of course, a large and inviting front porch that is a staple of the style is prominently featured at 1404 S. Adams Street.
Walking into the home you can feel the history of this place. Certainly, the home was built with the utmost care and precision in every aspect. The woodwork throughout the home is impressive and something we won’t see with future homes — certainly not in this day and age of production homes and hurried building schedules.
The home of 2,700 square feet with four bedrooms and two-and-one-half bathrooms has been enlarged since 1907. In 1914 Charles K. Lee, future Texas State Bar Association President, added the porte-cochere and room above. The home was then purchased from Lee’s estate in 1944 by Mrs. Gunhild Weber, a Fort Worth business executive until 2002 when she donated the home to Historic Fort Worth to oversee many renovations.
What a tremendous opportunity to own a piece of history! Appropriately updated and preserved, with every squeak and creak from walking on the hardwood floors there is a ghost from the past (spoiler alert: the home is not haunted) recounting history and lives from long, long ago.
Whatever you want to call it — 1404 S. Adams Street, the Berry-Weber House or the Gunhild Weber House — is listed for sale by Joseph Romero of Williams Trew Real Estate for $636,000.
