Reduced by $20,000, listed at 20 percent below the median square foot price for the neighborhood, marvelously move-in ready, and inexplicably 76 days on the market … What’s up with that? Technically, 2600 Lipscomb Street is in Ryan Place but the house was not part of the original, first-ever planned development in Fort Worth orchestrated by John C. Ryan. The Ryan Place Craftsman was formerly a part of a small enclave known as the Page Addition which was incorporated into Ryan Place in the early ’80s.
The area does have a sort of fringe feel, consisting of a handful of houses mostly on Lipscomb Street and College Avenue. Perhaps that explains the discount. I, however, am drawn to the tucked-away, hidden feeling.
A Ryan Place Craftsman Worth Falling For
And now, on to the house. This Ryan Place Craftsman has three bedrooms, two-and-one-half baths, and a combined 3,175 square feet between the main house and the garage apartment (more on that later).
It was built in 1922 and completely renovated in 2016. The owners have executed the restoration with great sensitivity and respect for the period of construction while deploying panache in color and design details. It all begins with the exterior, which is painted olive with red trim. The front porch is treated as an outdoor living room complete with furniture, carpets, and curtains.
Though lacking a vestibule, the living room nevertheless is possessed of a handsome gravity. White paneled wainscoting meets bold blue walls topped by a solid coffered ceiling.
The house couldn’t have been improved one iota, with the assistance of a professional stager. The owners have employed an eclectic mix of antiques and reproduction Victorian leather upholstery in the living room which beautifully compliment the style of the house.
The gas fireplace is flanked by mantel-height bookcases with over windows — a Craftsman-style tell.
The renovation included the opening of what was likely a galley kitchen to add an island that steps into the dining room — a likely family-friendly decision. The dining room has a vintage-era raised dado, probably once stained, but is now clean, bright, and white.
Some may regret the alteration of the original floor plan, but the enlarged kitchen is a commentary on a shift in the importance of this room in the last 100 years from a utility space to be screened, to a public space to be exhibited, celebrated, and embellished.
And so it is in 2023 at 2600 Lipscomb. Oyster-painted cabinets sporting shiny brass hardware, a farmhouse porcelain sink, and a fire engine red island with a small sink and wine nooks create an inviting public space.
A charming, narrow staircase leads to the bright second-floor landing. Hardwood floors throughout the house have been refinished but retain a warm century-old patina. The hall is wrapped in Damask patterned paper.
All three bedrooms are on the second floor. The primary suite is of average size with an attached bath. Walls are au courant RH gray. Again we encounter first-rate crisp white millwork.
The attached bath is among the most glamorous I have encountered this year. The owners have fabricated an almost monochrome, understated white background in which the stand-out is the brass hardware, which gleams like 14-karat gold. The glamorous console sink looks like what the original builders might have installed had they had the budget.
An attic room? No, we are in the garage apartment finished at the same high standards as the main house and potentially worth $1,400 in rental income.
The detached garage houses three cars. There is, in addition, a shop space with a half bath.
Gwen Harper of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty has priced 2600 Lipscomb Street at $759,000.
