More than a century ago, crowds flocked to a woodsy Tarrant County site because of the popularity of two passenger rail lines and a nearby trolley park with a scenic lake.
This week, a group will head to east Fort Worth’s Handley neighborhood to celebrate the area’s rich history — and what it continues to bring to the region now.
“It’s a fascinating story that can stick with the city forever,” said Jerre Tracy, executive director of Historic Fort Worth Inc., an organization that works to preserve historic structures in the city.
Twelve structures were built on East Lancaster Avenue in Handley to accommodate the throngs of rail passengers that visited the area. The community began to develop when the Texas and Pacific Railroad opened a passenger depot in 1876. Decades later, the North Texas Traction Company launched its electric rail service to the Handley community in June 1902.
Merchants opened shops and businesses as the interurban rail line between Fort Worth and Dallas brought scores of visitors to Lake Erie, a 30-acre tranquil body of water created when the traction company impounded a small creek for its electric generating plant that still stands today. Visitors enjoyed boating, a skating rink, free concerts and other activities at the park, which was later incorporated into the 1,939-acre Lake Arlington in the 1950s.
The Handley community, which grew from 156 residents in 1903, reached over 3,000 residents by the mid-1940s. The area was annexed by Fort Worth in 1946.
The historic Handley commercial strip is a reminder of one of North Texas’ first transit-oriented developments as rail brought more people to the area. Five brick storefronts, commissioned by Matt Skeen around 1910, were designed and built by George Steve Carmack in two phases, according to Historic Fort Worth Inc.
The preservation group will celebrate the commercial strip with a tour scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Aug. 1. The area, named a city of Fort Worth historic district, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
The Handley shopping center was among the properties put on Historic Fort Worth Inc.’s most endangered list of 2024 since the strip center was threatened by the planned expansion of East Lancaster Avenue. The group said Mayor Pro Tempore Gyna Bivens, who represents the area, worked to eliminate the threat of additional parking lanes in front of the center.
Historic Fort Worth’s tour will focus on the existing buildings, which now house various businesses, including a bridal salon, a florist, a bakery, a stationery store, an event venue, art gallery and metaphysical shop.
The tour will cover the 6500 and 6600 blocks of East Lancaster. It is free for Historic Fort Worth members and $25 for nonmembers. Check in will be at Paper Planet, 6515 E. Lancaster. Parking is available at Blank Space, at the northeast corner of Handley and Lancaster, and behind Bliss Bridal Salon on the north side of the Bliss building.
“It’s a come-and-go tour,” Tracy said. “People will be making presentations and some of the shop owners will participate.”
Tour participants are urged to dress comfortably and bring water since the forecasted high on Thursday will be 101 degrees. The group will also provide water.
For tickets, visit Historic Fort Worth’s website.
Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.