FORT WORTH — A one-of-a-kind geometric house built in west Fort Worth for an oilman and his wife in the mid-20th century will apparently escape the wrecking ball.
The 8,400-square-foot Andrew Fuller House, designed by noted California architect A. Quincy Jones in 1950, was sold Friday afternoon to an undisclosed Fort Worth couple. The house had been owned since 2003 by a Frost Bank trust in the name of Amon Carter III, the son of former Star-Telegram publisher Amon Carter Jr. and the grandson of Fort Worth legend Amon Carter Sr.The house, considered a mid-century masterpiece by Jones, had fallen into disrepair after Carter moved out four years ago and faced demolition earlier this year because no one would pay the bank's asking price of close to $1 million. A news story in the Star-Telegram in January generated further interest in the sale, and the bank dropped its price considerably to reach a deal with the buyer.The Fuller House was listed as one of the city's "most endangered" properties by Historic Fort Worth, a preservation organization. The group's executive director, Jerre Tracy, could hardly contain her excitement at news of the sale, which came shortly after word of the sale of the Public Market building on Henderson Street to oil and gas executive Bob Simpson."It was a good week in preservation, and they're hard to find," she said. "It's a house with such a brilliant past."Because the new owners were not disclosed, it is impossible to determine their plans for the house. But Tracy said she believes the new owner wants to restore the house."I don't think you would buy it, unless you 'got' the architecture," Tracy said.Originally built on 17 acres of land above Edgehill Road at 4161 Charron Lane in the Ridglea neighborhood, the house now sits on 2.5 acres, surrounded by houses built in the 1980s and '90s.Andrew and Geraldine Fuller, a wealthy couple with numerous friends in Hollywood, commissioned Jones to design the house. They also hired William Haines, an equally famous mid-century interior designer and former actor, to oversee the interior.Completed in 1953, the house is an architectural eye-opener with gigantic rooms and 20-foot ceilings.Every room is a different geometric shape - circles, trapezoids and rhombuses. The original house, before the conversion of the garage into additional rooms, had only two bedrooms. The woodwork, even after water damage and almost 60 years, is still gorgeous. Entire walls of glass look out onto the enormous backyard and 50-foot-long swimming pool.The Fullers entertained numerous motion picture luminaries at the house, including Jimmy Stewart and Joan Crawford.Indeed, Jones' houses in California are often owned by a who's who of the super-rich and famous. Courteney Cox owns a Jones-designed house. Jennifer Aniston bought one in Bel Air this year for a reported $21 million.Chris Vaughn, (817) 390-7547Twitter: @CVaughnFWHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
