Renovating Historic Fort Worth: Why Fairmount, Arlington Heights, and the Near Southside Are 6th Ave's Specialty
Fort Worth has some of the best historic residential architecture in Texas. The 1910s and 1920s craftsman bungalows in Fairmount. The Tudor revivals scattered through Park Hill and Berkeley Place. The 1930s English cottages along Arlington Heights. The mid-century ranches throughout Crestwood and Westcliff. The brick four-squares in the Near Southside. Each of these eras has its own architectural language, its own typical construction quirks, and its own specific renovation considerations.
We've made historic and pre-1970 Fort Worth homes one of our specialties at 6th Ave Homes. Not because they're easy — they're often the opposite of easy — but because they're some of the most rewarding projects we do, and because the city's best neighborhoods are built around houses with real history. This is the honest read on what makes a historic Fort Worth renovation different, what we do specifically to handle them well, and how the city's preservation rules actually work in 2026.
What Counts as "Historic" in Fort Worth
Fort Worth has several designated historic overlay districts, each with its own rules. Fairmount has one of the largest and most active overlays — most exterior changes require review by the city's Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission (HCLC). The Near Southside has multiple historic designations. Parts of Arlington Heights, the Cultural District, and certain Crestwood blocks have varying levels of historic protection. Some streets and individual properties have separate designations.
Beyond the formally designated overlays, plenty of Fort Worth homes are "historic" in the practical sense — built before 1950, with original architectural features worth preserving, even without formal designation. The 1920s craftsman, the 1930s Tudor, the 1940s Cape Cod — these houses have their own construction realities regardless of whether they're under formal preservation review.
We handle both kinds of historic renovation — the formally designated and the informally significant — with the same approach.
The Approval Process When You're in a Designated District
If your house is in a Fort Worth historic overlay district and you're making any exterior change — windows, doors, siding, paint colors that change the historic palette, roof material, porches, additions — you'll need to go through the HCLC's review process. The process involves submitting an application with detailed plans, sometimes attending a public meeting, and getting a Certificate of Appropriateness before any work begins.
The review process is more rigorous than a standard permit. The standards are about preserving the character of the house and the neighborhood. Reviewers look at material authenticity, window proportions, roof pitch, porch detailing, and how proposed changes fit the architectural era of the home.
We've been through this process many times. We know what passes review and what doesn't. We pre-design with the standards in mind, which dramatically reduces the back-and-forth with the city. Clients trying to do this without experienced help often go through multiple rounds of revisions and lose months of time. We routinely complete approval in one or two rounds because we know the standards.
The Construction Realities of Pre-1970 Fort Worth Homes
This is where the historic renovation conversation gets specific. Older Fort Worth homes have construction realities that newer homes don't. We plan for them from day one.
Pier-and-beam foundations. Most pre-1950 Fort Worth homes are on pier-and-beam, not slab. This is actually a blessing in many ways — pier-and-beam is more flexible with our clay soil and easier to repair. But it requires specific expertise. Joists may need sistering. Piers may need shimming or replacement. Crawl space conditions matter enormously. We routinely encapsulate crawl spaces during major renovations to control moisture and improve overall house performance.
Knob-and-tube electrical. Pre-1945 homes often have original knob-and-tube wiring still in use. It's not inherently dangerous if intact, but most of it is now well past safe useful life and isn't compatible with modern load demands. A full electrical rewire is a standard part of most pre-1945 Fort Worth renovations. Budget $15K to $35K for a whole-house rewire depending on size and access.
Galvanized plumbing. As mentioned in our bath post, galvanized supply lines were standard until roughly 1970. They corrode internally and need replacement. A whole-house repipe in an older Fort Worth home runs $8K to $20K and is one of the most worthwhile investments in long-term house performance.
Cast iron drains. Same story. Often at end of life. We assess and replace as needed during open-wall work.
Lath-and-plaster walls. Beautiful, dense, more soundproof than drywall, but harder to work in. Cutting them for new electrical or plumbing is more technical than drywall. We don't tear out original plaster walls unless we have to — they're a real asset to a historic home. When we patch them, we use plaster, not drywall, to preserve the texture and character.
Original wood floors. Almost every pre-1960 Fort Worth home has real hardwood floors under any later carpet or vinyl. They're almost always worth restoring. A full sand-and-refinish of original oak floors in a typical Fort Worth home runs $4K to $10K and is one of the highest-emotional-return restoration moves you can make.
Asbestos and lead paint. Pre-1980 homes often have asbestos in insulation, certain floor tiles, and pipe wrap. Pre-1978 paint may contain lead. Both require proper testing and abatement when disturbed. We test for both before any major demolition in older homes and use certified abatement contractors when needed. This is not optional — it's safety and code.
What We Save (and What We Replace)
The defining decision in any historic renovation is what to preserve and what to replace. Our default is to save the architecturally significant features and replace the systems and surfaces that have failed.
Almost always save: original hardwood floors, original interior doors and hardware (these are nearly impossible to replicate in quality), original moldings and millwork, original windows if intact (with restoration and weatherstripping rather than replacement), original front doors, transoms, built-in cabinetry, fireplace mantels, and any original architectural character features.
Almost always replace: original electrical wiring, original plumbing, original HVAC (or add HVAC where there wasn't any), single-pane windows that are beyond restoration, insulation (or add insulation where there wasn't any), and finishes that have failed.
Case-by-case: kitchens (almost always renovated, but with a respectful design vocabulary), bathrooms (same), original siding (depends on condition), original roofing (replaced as needed).
The point is that a great historic renovation doesn't erase the history of the house. It honors what was there, fixes what failed, and adds modern systems and finishes that respect the architectural language.
The Cost Premium of Historic Renovation
A historic Fort Worth renovation typically runs 20 to 40 percent higher than a comparable renovation on a newer home. The reasons: more surprises behind walls, more specialty trades (plasterers, restoration carpenters), more systems work (everything is being added or replaced), the historic review process adds time and design cost, and the level of finish required to do justice to the architecture is higher.
We're honest with clients about this from day one. A historic renovation is not the right call if you're trying to maximize cost-per-square-foot efficiency. It is the right call if you love the house, the neighborhood, and the architectural character, and you want to invest in something that will be more valuable, more durable, and more meaningful than a comparable new build.
How to Start the Historic Renovation Conversation
If you own — or are considering buying — a historic or pre-1970 Fort Worth home, we'd love to walk it with you. We've done full renovations, additions, and restoration projects in Fairmount, Arlington Heights, the Near Southside, Crestwood, Park Hill, and the Cultural District. We know the houses, we know the city's process, and we know the trades who do this work well.
Free consultation. We'll tell you what we see, what we'd be excited to work on, what the realistic budget looks like, and what the design and approval process would involve. Historic renovation is some of the most rewarding work we do, and Fort Worth has some of the best historic neighborhoods in the state to do it in.
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