By Rick Mauch
Candy’s Dirt Contributor
One of the largest and oldest neighborhoods in Fort Worth is Arlington Heights. It offers community charm along with an equal amount of history.
From the quaint shops to a buzzing scene on West Seventh Street, along with easy access to Interstate 30, the neighborhood maintains a balance of suburban quiet and calm and urban convenience.
Within the large Arlington Heights neighborhood are several smaller communities. Some notable areas include Sunset Heights South, West Beyer, Monticello, and Crestwood.
The popular Camp Bowie district is in the Arlington Heights neighborhood. In this historic area are some of the city’s more legendary dining establishments, such as Uncle Julio’s (Mexican), Kincaid’s Hamburgers, Lucile’s (traditional American), and Blue Bonnet Bakery. Notable and established retailers include Big Dave’s Cigars, Flores Antiques, and Chicotsky’s Liquor & Fine Wine, which was established by Morris J. Chicotsky in 1933 and is still run by the Chicotsky family.
Arlington Heights is also considered one of the safest places to live in the Fort Worth area. The website extraspace.com ranked it as the safest neighborhood in the city.
History
Arlington Heights boomed in the 1920s, benefiting greatly from being a short trolley ride from downtown Fort Worth. That proximity to downtown and the cultural district remains immensely appealing to the neighborhood.
The roots of Arlington Heights go back to the 1850s when it was part of ranch land. Although some residential development took place right before the turn of the century, only a handful of homes had been built.
A serious push for growth began when a developer from Denver, H.B. Chamberlain, bought about two thousand acres from Chicago financiers Tom Hurley and Robert McCart.
Chamberlain’s attempt to develop Arlington Heights was cut short in 1894 when a hotel his investment company had built, Ye Arlington Inn, was destroyed by fire. A few years later, Chamberlain died while bicycling near London.
Developers bought the land and donated it to the U.S. Army. During World War I, more than 100,000 soldiers trained at Camp Bowie. The camp closed after the war, but the remaining infrastructure spurred development over the next few decades. Today, you will see the history in the architecture of homes, such as English cottage style and classic arts and crafts bungalows.
Camp Bowie Boulevard was named in honor of the camp and paved with its distinct red brick in 1928. Many of the businesses have roots that go back to the 1920s, while other structures, such as Fire Station No. 18 and Arlington Heights Methodist Church, are also neighborhood landmarks.
Life in Arlington Heights
Arlington Heights offers a little something for everyone, even the family pet. The Bark Park at First Flight features 3,200 square feet of play space for dogs. The neighborhood also has lots of sidewalks for walking the family dog.
For those who enjoy the outdoors, Como Park and the neighboring Lake Como provide plenty of green space.
Another green area is the nearby 252-acre Trinity Park and the Fort Worth Zoo. The Trinity Trail system is known for its hiking and biking.
Arlington Heights is also next door to Fort Worth’s oldest country club, River Crest Country Club. It’s one of the first golf clubs with residential development on site.
Camp Bowie Boulevard is home to several notable museums, including the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Kimbell Art Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and more. The Will Rogers Memorial Center was built in 1936.
From pre-K through high school, quality education is abundant in Arlington Heights. Also, Texas Christian University is nearby.
Education in Arlington Heights also has its share of history. Among the high school’s famous alumni was Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., better known as the folk/rock musician John Denver.
Other notable alumni include Milton Brown, “Father of western swing”; Betty Buckley, Tony Award-winning actress and singer; T. Cullen Davis, accused and acquitted twice for murder at his mansion; Tony Franklin, former placekicker who once held the NFL record for the longest field goal at 63 yards; Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy; and Bill Paxton, actor and film director.
