A historic Fort Worth home, known to locals as "The White House" for its stately appearance, suffered extensive damage in a fire on Tuesday night. Firefighters were dispatched to 2117 N.W. 24th St. shortly before 11 p.m. to find the two-story house, a landmark with four Corinthian columns, engulfed in flames, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Despite their efforts to quickly put out the blaze, the Fort Worth Fire Department faced significant challenges due to the intense fire. Unlike a fortified structure prepared to withstand such an assault, this home was vacant and boarded up, causing firefighters to initially attack the fire from the outside after discovering the staircase had been missing, which forced them to retreat and continue battling the fire from a safer distance.
The property, also known as the Brown-Tadlock House, holds a notable place in local history. It was constructed in 1909 for Benjamin B. Brown, an employee of the meat-packing company Swift and Company. According to a survey by the Tarrant County Historic Preservation Council, in 1919, Brown sold the residence to James Tadlock, a partner in the Tuttle and Tadlock Livestock Commission Co., which played a significant role in Fort Worth's history as a central point for cattle trading.
Officials are currently investigating the cause of the fire, yet the loss has already resonated deeply with community members. "It's a hard impact on us 'cuz like I said, it was The White House to us since our childhood," Nayeli Díaz DeLeon, a lifelong resident of the neighborhood said. "When we were kids riding the bikes around here, we would just see that white house and say, 'Hey, look at The White House! The White House! The big mansion. And, now to see it. It's sad." The home was distinguished not only by its stately columns but also by unique features like its diamond-shaped window next to the front door and an iron rooftop railing, as per NBC DFW.
The blaze took firefighters close to an hour to bring under control as they had to massively scale up their response, calling in additional personnel to quell the eight-foot flames. While the house remains standing, the extent of the damage has compromised much of its historic charm and rendered the landmark unrecognizable to those who hold it dear. Jerre Tracy, executive director of Historic Fort Worth, lamented the destruction, stating, "It’s a neat house. We’re so sorry to see it’s been in a fire", as per The Dallas Morning News.
