Thistle Hill

Thistle Hill is the most spectacular cattle baron era estate that has been preserved, and it is also one of the most prominent residential landmarks in Fort Worth. Thistle Hill is a Georgian Revival home that exemplifies the architectural magnificence of Fort Worth's affluent pioneers. The neighborhood where it is located was formerly known as Quality Hill. In the year 1904, Albert Buckman Wharton, Jr. and his wife Electra Waggoner Wharton, who was the daughter of a wealthy cattleman named W.T. Waggoner, moved into this home that was 11,000 square feet and included 18 rooms. The home was remodeled by Sanguinet and Staats in 1911, after Elizabeth and Winfield Scott bought the estate for $90,000 and commissioned them to do so. The original house had been designed by Sanguinet and Staats. The primary bulk of the house is a gambrel-roofed structure that is two and one-half stories tall and has semi-circular bays on either side. The mansion is accentuated by towering chimneys as well as a massive porch that has limestone columns. The roof is covered in glossy green tiles, and the walls are elaborately framed in cast stone. The outside is red brick. The foyer welcomes guests with a grand staircase and abundant woodwork as two of its prominent features. The enclosed gardens of 1.5 acres, which include a magnificent carriage house, have been preserved. In 1975, the home was included in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1977, it was recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and in 1978, it became the first Historic and Cultural Landmark in Fort Worth.