This magnificent Westover Hills English country estate was built in 1929. In all that time, it has had only had three owners. There is always a reason for that.
When a family stays in a house for years and years, it means that home has what we call livability. It fulfills absolutely every need of all the members of a family, and it is the sort of property that functions beautifully for any level of entertaining you can imagine.
An Exclusive Enclave
This 6,371-square-foot English country estate is in the heart of Westover Hills, one of the most coveted neighborhoods in America. Actually, it’s considered a town. Here’s what the Westover Hills website offers:
Westover Hills prides itself on its long, rich heritage of elegant style and family values in the Fort Worth area. The majority of Westover Hills can be found in the John Kinder survey of 1857 as well as the Pete Peterson survey of 1873. Most of the land was originally owned by Amon G. Carter, with the first plats drawn up in 1929. John E. Farrell was the first Mayor and one of the first to build a residence in Westover Hills in 1931. The properties were developed by A. C. Luther, who later built his home on Valley Ridge Road in 1936. Westover Hills was incorporated as a class A city in 1939.
The paving of the Town’s roads was not completed until the 1940′s and home construction continued through the 50′s with most of the town’s plots occupied by the end of the 1960′s. Today Westover Hills is a serene bedroom community of 277 homes and approximately 700 people. Our town continues to offer a choice secure location to raise a family in the peaceful surroundings of large trees and spacious lawns.
If you want to live in this neighborhood, you generally must wait patiently for someone to head to a better place, and I don’t mean Paris.
In 1991, the present owners had their hearts set on living in Westover Hills. This English country estate was featured in the Sunday real estate section of the newspaper, and that’s how the present owners discovered it. The previous owner’s son held on to it for some time after his mother died. He wanted to find the right buyer, someone that would care for his childhood home properly. There were four interested parties, and he requested a letter from each stating why it was the perfect home for them.
The present owners winning letter expressed their desire to have this be their lifetime home, where they would raise their growing family. With five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and five powder baths, it’s been the perfect family home.
They lived in the house a year before touching it. This is one of the smartest things any owner of a historic property can do. You must allow a home to speak to you and see how you use the spaces. The couple started with some minor changes like connecting the servant’s quarters to the main house and raising the roofline. Then they got to work.
The interior was gutted and rebuilt to the original footprint. The electrical wiring and plumbing were redone. A downstairs master was added to the back of the house to ensure the owners could stay long-term. Maintaining the integrity of the house was paramount, and great care was taken to pay homage to the historical aspects of the home. The original walls were made of plaster, as are the new walls. Molds were taken of the filigree on the walls to recreate it. Having traveled widely over the years, the owners collected not only inspiration but also resources from Italy and France. Chandeliers were imported from Florence, and an Italian painter flew over to work on one of the Parisian-inspired powder baths. The kitchen is breathtaking because it was modeled after the one at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence.
The gardens were designed by Dallas landscape architect Bruce Berger, enhanced with stone imported from Italy. They also did some very functional things to the property, like digging a well that provides water for all 1.35 acres. Their water bill is about $50 each month.
Above all, this English country estate has been the home of a growing family. The seller regaled me with tales of the many birthday parties held in the vast front yard. Each one centered around a theme, and they were quite the production from carnivals to a recreation of the Olympics.
Although the present owners aren’t requesting a letter, they are hoping that a family, much like theirs back in 1991, will see what they saw — a beautiful place to call home.
Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s agent Laurie Brants has 34 Valley Ridge Road listed for $5.35 million.
Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager and writer for over 25 years. Her love of all dogs, international travel, good chocolate, great champagne, and historic homes knows no bounds. Her father was a spy, so she keeps secrets very well!
