The Grand Ladies of Fort Worthby Marilyn LoeserIt may surprise you, but the first place I wanted to visit in Fort Worth wasn’t the National Historic Stockyard District, but rather two cattle baron-era mansions — Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House and Thistle Hill.  I’m always fascinated by elaborate historic homes; to see how ‘the other half’ lived during a city’s storied past and I was thrilled with the two beauties open for tour under the watchful care of Historic Fort Worth, Inc.
 You’ll know you’re in for a treat as you approach the Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House. Ornate columns support a slate roof over the wrap-around porch. Elaborate turrets, gables and copper finials all work together to make this a beautiful example of Queen Anne-style Victorian architecture. The combination and color of the marble, sandstone, brick and copper create a feast for the history-lover’s eyes.
 Through the ornamental front door, my husband Mark, our friend Leigh and I were greeted by a young tour guide. I immediately had the feeling of family, warmth and friendship. This home isn’t overwhelmingly large and I could imagine living in this gracious home.
 Our guide told us the home was designed by English architect Howard Messer and built in 1899 for Sarah C. Ball, widow of Galveston banker George Ball. William H. Eddelman, a local banker, bought the home in 1904 and in 1921 gave it to his daughter Carrie, the wife of cattleman Frank H. McFarland. She lived here for 75 years.
Because only three families lived in the home, it remains largely unaltered from its original construction.  Our guide showed us through the foyer into two entertainment rooms, complete with a huge pocket door still in its original condition. Other original features include oak mantles, cornices, coffered ceilings, paneling and parquet floors.
This home is located in an area once known as Quality Hill and was one of the last of Fort Worth's elegant Victorian homes built. The house sits on a bluff overlooking the Trinity River and because the last occupant was married to a cattle baron, it is often referred to as a cattle baron home.  The tour is only of the first floor, but guests are invited to take their time looking through the rooms to admire the decorative elements. Because the tour is short and there are no furnishings, this is a perfect house for young historians in your company.
Thistle Hill Next we headed for nearby Thistle Hill, the most impressive surviving mansion of the cattle baron era. Like Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House, it is located in the once-fashionable district known as Quality Hill.
Inside the front door, we were greeted by our tour guide who welcomed us to ‘his’ home. The mansion is furnished with period pieces and I immediately felt I had been invited into a time of lavish parties attended by the who’s who of Fort Worth.  The foyer area is massive and our guide explained to us it was used as a ball room. At one end of the room is a wide staircase. Half way up it separates into two separate staircases on either side. The staircase landing features two beautiful stained glass windows. One opens to let in cool evening breezes and osculates inside a ‘birdcage’ that can be seen from the outside of the house.
Thistle Hill, we learn, was built in 1903 offering a glimpse into the great era of the cattle barons. It is one of the finest remaining examples of the Georgian Revival architectural style in the Southwest and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was built for Electra Waggoner — the daughter of one of Fort Worth’s wealthiest cattleman William T. Waggoner — and her husband Albert Buckman Wharton. Construction of the 11,000 square foot home was $46,000. Electra met Wharton, a prominent Philadelphian, while touring the Himalayas. They were married in 1902 at her family home in Decatur, Texas. Unlike the Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House, this tour includes the first and second floors. The house contains 18 rooms, each filled with turn-of-the-last-century furnishings and decorative accents. We were invited into the dining room, kitchen, up the grand staircase and into the bedrooms and, as we descended the stairs, our guide asked us to imagine what it would have been like for Electra to make her grand entrance into a room filled with guests. Thistle Hill was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Winfield Scott in 1911, longtime acquaintances of Electra's parents. Winfield, a successful cattleman and prominent Fort Worth businessman, started an extensive remodeling of the mansion, converting it from Colonial to Georgian Revival. Later the same year, Winfield passed away.  His wife Elizabeth their son Winfield, Jr. moved into the mansion in 1912. During her 26 year residency, Elizabeth expanded the gardens, and added a tea house and pergola to the grounds. She too was known as an elegant hostess and her dinner parties were very formal affairs.
After his mother's death in 1938, Winfield, Jr. sold the mansion to the Girls Service League. The new tenants took excellent care of the mansion. Founded in 1917, the league is still in operation and is dedicated to the assistance of young women. In 1968, the League put the mansion up for sale. In 1974, after watching many of the mansions on Quality Hill razed to make room for ‘progress,’ a group of concerned citizens formed a committee called "Save the Scott Home." After years of fund raising, the committee was able to purchase Thistle Hill in 1976 for $240,000.  Historic Fort Worth was gifted the property in January of 2005, and continues to oversee its restoration while at the same time, sharing its original beauty and grandeur with the community.
Both homes — the Victorian and her neighbor the Georgian Revival — are well worth a visit for a little background flavor of Fort Worth’s cattle baron past. For more informationBall-Eddleman-McFarland House: http://www.fortworth.com/01visitors/0106museums/balleddleman.shtml Thistle Hill: http://www.fortworth.com/01visitors/0101westernher/010112cattlebaron/010112cattlebaron.shtml Fort Worth:
http://www.fortworth.com. Dining out:Joe T. Garcia’s for traditional Tex-Mex; a Fort Worth institution since 1935: http://www.joets.com. Located in downtown Sundance Square, Reata offers excellent service, western motif, and a wonderful and varied menu. Try the Jalapeño Cheddar Grits:http://www.reata.net. Accommodations:The Worthington, A Renaissance Hotel is located in the heart of Sundance Square and offers nice rooms, friendly staff and a wonderful history: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dfwdt-the-worthington-a-renaissance-hotel. | 