Wedgwood Historical Association Parade of Homes

If you are local to the DFW area, you won’t want to miss this Saturday’s Parade of Homes hosted by the Wedgwood Historical Association. The tour features four mid-century homes in the Wedgwood neighborhood of Fort Worth along with jazz music, sales of herbs by the Wedgwood Garden Club, classic cars, and refreshments.  You can learn more and purchase your tickets here. All proceeds from the Parade (after operating expenses) will go to the Wedgwood Garden Club for their efforts in maintaining the parks in Wedgwood and plantings at the Wedgwood Public Library and the Southwest Community Center. The Garden Club’s tireless work makes a pleasant environment for all of Wedgwood and promotes outdoor activities for children.

Wedgwood is a neighborhood in the southwest part of Fort Worth developed from 1950 to 1970 by E. L. Baker, Irwin Krauss, and S. G. Payte. The addition was planned around access to schools, Benbrook Lake, and the new highway, as well as the Wedgwood Country Club, Wedgwood Shopping Village, and Wedgwood Bowl, all midcentury modern buildings designed by the local architectural firm Kneer & Hamm. The houses in Wedgwood show a huge variety in styles, with many builders and the frequent involvement of another Fort Worth architectural firm, Hueppelsheuser & White. Wedgwood’s earliest residents were very culturally and civic-minded forming many groups and clubs.

The Wedgwood Historical Association (WHA) is a nonprofit corporation founded in March 2021 to promote awareness of and appreciation for the architecture and design of houses in the Wedgwood neighborhood. They work to encourage home maintenance, renovations, and rehabilitation while respecting the historic home’s original character and style. The association also collects and records information and documents of historical significance pertaining to Wedgwood and its development. Their first annual Parade of Homes will be a step back in time especially for people like me who love mid-century style. You may request membership to join their private Facebook group here.

You can purchase your timed tickets for either interior ($20) or exterior ($10) tours of the homes here. Please note: only masked persons vaccinated against COVID-19 and 16+ years of age will be allowed to tour the interiors of the homes. After you purchase your tickets you will receive a lovely printable guide with more information on each of the homes featured in the tour.

Home one on the tour is a 1959 contemporary house of fieldstone and wood, in its original state.

Home two is a 1960 “international modern” brick house that was nearly completely renovated but has a few remaining original features.

Home three is a traditional 1965 brick-clad ranch house in mostly original state, furnished and decorated almost entirely with period and vintage pieces.

And the final home on the tour is a 1965 “Mexican” style Modern house with many updates that retain its original feel and is a wonderful backdrop to the current owners’ art collection.

I am especially excited about this tour because my parents lived in Wedgwood when I was in college and owned a 1963 Clinton Wright home on Chedlea Avenue. After they downsized in 2001, Mr. Bee and I bought the home and lived there for about seven years. It was a beautiful home with such interesting architectural features like terrazzo tile and an atrium in the center of the home, so no matter where you were in the home you had a lovely view of a lovely courtyard space. From the 50s to 60s, Clinton Wright was the builder of many modern homes in the Wedgwood area. His distinctive calling card was a rock-style brick on the front. In the above photo, there used to be a stone wall by the front entrance. While we lived there the wall collapsed.

I’ve purchased my tickets for Saturday at 1 p.m. I hope to see you there!