The home is owned by the grandson of former Star-Telegram publisher Amon G. Carter, Sr., for whom a high school, a museum, a sports stadium and an exhibit hall have been named. Amon Carter III has been trying to sell the house for two years but has turned down several offers he felt were too far below his asking price. Initially, the house was listed for $1.25 million, but it has been lowered to less than $1 million. His most recent offer was $625,000. Carter says the appraised value of the land is more than that. The Tarrant Appraisal District values the land at $307,910.
The trust department of Frost bank has obtained a demolition permit on Carter's behalf. Carter moved out of the house in 2008, and it has sat empty and deteriorating since then. Preservationists and prospective buyers estimate that it would cost from $500,000 to $1,000,000 to restore the home.
Andrew and Geraldine Fuller commissioned Jones in 1950 to design the 8,400 square foot house, which was completed in 1953. Cory Buckner, a Los Angeles architect who wrote a biography of Jones in 2002, was saddened by the current condition of the house and says it is quite possibly the most beautiful luxury home Jones ever designed. Each immense room is a different shape...a diamond, a circle, a trapezoid, a parallelogram. The Fullers hired William Haines as their interior designer and T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings to create custom furniture for the home.
Historic Fort Worth, Inc., a local preservationist group, has tried to find a new owner, but so far no deal has been struck. The city council could designate the home a historic site, but it is unlikely to happen without homeowner support.
Nevertheless, a bank spokesperson says demolition isn't certain. She insists that as long as the house is still standing, there is a chance of saving it.
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| The Fuller House sits at the end of a long, gated driveway. This is the closest shot I could get from the street when I went to take a look yesterday. |
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| Back view historicfortworth.org |
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| Front door historicfortworth.org |
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| Entrance hall historicfortworth.org |
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| Courtyard historicfortworth.org |
Surely there must be someone out there! You see so many sellers like that right now. They have a property and won't sell below a certain arbitrary point. Then the offers dry up and in the end it goes for pennies on the dollar because the thing was on the market forever and wasn't taken care of. If they had just been reasonable at the beginning, they would have been better off.
ReplyDeleteI think what upsets me most about the whole thing is that Amon Carter III has more than enough money to have kept the roof repaired since he moved out. All the damage that's keeping people from paying his asking price could have been avoided. In my opinion, he should take the hit for being negligent and move on, for the sake of history and the community.
DeleteIt's a shame that some people grow up with so many material things they don't value any of them, even the irreplaceable ones.
EIGHT THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED SQUARE FEET?! Pardon me as I wipe coffee off my computer screen. Wow, I really hope someone anyone steps in a saves it. I am in love with the fountian in the courtyard... How big are the grounds? Not that I could EVER afford it, but if it had enough bedrooms to justify- it could be a possible "Bed and breakfast" or something.
ReplyDeleteYes, the thing is HUGE! Did you see the size of the entrance hall? A previous owner said her kids rode their bikes in it. The house was originally built on 17 acres, I believe, but most of that has been sold. I think it's only on 2 acres now. It's sitting right in the middle of a bunch of 1990s McMansions, so it would probably be next to impossible to get zoned for a bed and breakfast or a corporate retreat.
Deleteomg, what an incredible property! fingers crossed that a buyer comes forward to save it from the wrecking ball.
ReplyDeleteI hope so too, Mila. But I have a feeling if one does, it will be from out of town. Most Fort Worth folks don't understand or appreciate mid-century design or have any idea who A. Quincy Jones is. One look at the comments made about the original Star-Telegram article pretty accurately defines the mindset here.
Deletewhy..why...why :(
ReplyDeleteHard to fathom, isn't it?
DeleteHow sad! I so hope it is saved, what a gem of a property. Scarlett x
ReplyDeleteIt will hurt me to the core if I drive by and see that lot empty. Such a waste!
DeleteIt looks like such a need property - hope somebody saves it!
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking about Jones's biographer saying it's the most beautiful luxury home he ever designed. I think the Eichlers he designed are unbelievably beautiful, so I can only imagine what his luxury homes look like.
DeleteThere is an interior shot of the walnut walled library in the original article that I didn't include in this post. I hope everyone followed the link and saw it.
sigh... that is sooooo depressing! what is wrong with people! becuase it's the Amon Carters the city should step in and make it a historical landmark! What are they thinking????
ReplyDeleteI imagine Amon Carter III has made it clear to the city council that he doesn't want them to give it a historical designation. He wants the option of tearing it down if he can make more money selling the land without the house on it.
DeleteSad... this must be an incredible home and the comments on the DFW newspaper website can be frustrating to read when there's such indifference to the historical and architectural significance. Just an FYI: if you are curious about checking out other A. Quincy Jones luxury homes, Jennifer Aniston just bought one in Bel Aire that is very impressive for a mere $21 million. Lots of great pictures can be found here: http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/01/tour_jennifer_anistons_new_a_quincy_jones_house_in_bel_air.php
ReplyDeleteYes, it is very sad, and some of the comments were unbelievable. A couple of people actually seemed to have an attitude of "I'm ignorant and proud of it."
DeleteThe Bel Aire home is almost exactly the same size as the one here in Fort Worth and on just about the same acreage. Comparing the photos of Aniston's home with the interior shots in the Star-Telegram article, I would guess that the Fort Worth home used much costlier materials, as evidenced by the walnut-walled library. Shame on the owner for letting it sit vacant for three years and fall into disrepair.
Amon Carter III, step up, restore it then sell it!
ReplyDelete