One of the oldest houses in Fort Worth could soon be a place to kick back and grab a brew. The owners of the historic David Chapman Bennett house — located at 731 Samuels Ave. — have proposed a plan to transform the home into a wine and craft beer tasting room. Here’s everything we know about the project.
A brief history lesson
The Victorian-style riverfront home is located on the west side of Samuels Avenue overlooking the West Fork Trinity River. It was built around 1865 by David Chapman Bennett — co-founder of the First National Bank — and is one of the few historic landmarks in the city that remains on its original build site.
The current owners purchased the home in 1997 and began a 10-year process of restoring it to its original style. That included installing central air conditioning, restoring the original pine floors, and replacing the electric wiring + plumbing.
Plans for the future
During a city council meeting last week, the owners requested that the home be rezoned from “D” High-Density Multifamily to “PD/H” Planned Development for all uses in the Central Business District plus single-family residential, brewpub, and distillery uses.
The proposed plan includes enlarging the current patio areas, adding new outdoor space, and engaging the street and pedestrian corridor. The current zoning for the property does not support the new additions.
Because the 157-year-old home has a Historic Overlay on the site, there are no plans to alter or demolish any of the buildings or remove any large trees on the property. Being within walking distance to the Stockyards, Sundance Square, and bike trails, the adaptive reuse of the home could offer an opportunity to bring new life into the building.
Sip on this
Malibu-based Saddlerock Wine & Beer Co. is currently working on renovating the house into a tasting room.
The tasting room will serve wine from the California family farm — including rosé, pinot blanc, grenache, and malbec — along with 14 beers on tap, all of which will be locally sourced from Texas.
Saddrock’s Fort Worth general manager Francesca Lawrence told PaperCity Magazine that guests can expect food trucks on-site and will also allow guests to bring their own food.
A grand opening will be held at the start of the new year.
