I have no personal experience with this house. That being said, the home located on Avondale Ave. in the Colonial neighborhood of Fort Worth, Texas has become oddly important in my life. This is a home that represents many of the goals in my life. It is a home that encompasses humility and prosperity in a fluid relationship. I used to drive by this house everyday on my way to school and would dream of living and raising a family in a house similar. It is a large two story house perched on a hill that has arguably one of the best views of Fort Worth. It has a beautiful front yard that is littered with wide oaks and simple landscaping. It is a relatively large house but nothing about it is obnoxious or showy. It is a humble house that seems to embody the spirit of Fort Worth. I strive to one day build a house that is similar in nature and for that reason alone this house is very near and dear to me. The home, locally known as the Minor House, was purchased by Texas Christian University and houses the active University Chancellor. The home is host to a number of parties and events and is well received within our community. I think that all homes that are substantial in size should be built in the way that the minor house was. It is elegant both by nature and by choice.

I understand that it is particularly cliche to blog about my own home. However, I am fascinated with its history relative to my family. My home located in the Southside of Fort Worth was designed and built by my grandfather in the early-1960s. The home is a red brick ranch style home with an expansive back yard and looming oak trees. My family moved from Colorado in 2004 and we bought the property from my grandparents as they were looking to downsize. The house was then gutted and redesigned from the studs up by my parents. It’s just a fascinating scenario where many years were both spent in the original home as well as the redesigned version. I have many fond memories relative to both. Ironically, I spent all of my years in Texas in the same room that my mother grew up in. Likewise, my mother has lived at the same Briarhaven Road address for the majority of her life. I enjoy the idea of homes being passed down through family and am grateful to be a recipient of that process.

Farrington Field was the home field for my high school’s football field. The concrete cathedral was completed in 1939 and was where my mother cheered in high school and where my brother and I played football together. The stadium was erected in honor of a group of orphan children who miraculously won the Texas state championship in the early 1930s. The stadium is a staple in the Fort Worth community and I have many fond memories of both watching and playing football there. I very much enjoyed the historical aspect of the stadium and game days were particularly special because of the old school nature of the locker room and other facilities. It was much like stepping back in time. Unfortunately, the stadium is soon to be demolished. I am so grateful to be one of the last few players to play in the stadium. The stadium was simple and entirely concrete. However, it had beautiful facades of players in leather helmets and early-twentieth century uniforms. I think it’s a shame to replace it.

The Bradshaw Estate is a family heirloom, a well known piece of property located on Waco’s westside. The main house is a 1903 Greek-Revival build that was owned and maintained by my ancestors, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Bradshaw, throughout the second half of the twentieth century. The Bradshaws owned Cogdell’s Department Store, of which was later turned into a gun shop. They also helped establish Cogdell Methodist Church (Cogdell was my great-ancestral last name). The house is dominated by dark wood floors and ornate furnishings and decorations. A large porch extends from the back with a beautiful view of the surrounding Texas plains. The surrounding neighborhood was built as part of Camp McArthur, a World-War I training camp. The house and its history fascinates me. It is a part of my heritage. It was where my ancestors spent their holidays, where my grandparents got married, etc. The property was recently purchased by the famous celebrity renovators Chip and Joanna Gaines who remodeled the estate. I am encouraged knowing that the building is receiving the newfound love and care that it deserves.