Fort Worth home built by inventor of Drumstick ice cream cone could be yours for $4M
When I.C. and Jewel Parker built their home at 2920 Simondale Drive in 1937, the couple wanted it to have the charm of an old, well-preserved house.
Eighty-six years later the house situated on a bluff near Colonial Country Club has earned the authentic charm the Parkers sought and what architect Charles Stevens Dilbeck made possible.
I.C. Parker, president and general manager of Pangburn Candy Company, is credited with inventing Drumstick ice cream, which was named by his wife Jewel who thought the chocolate coated treat looked like a chicken drumstick.
The couple commissioned renowned architect Charles Stevens Dilbeck to design their cottage style home. Dilbeck designed hundreds of homes in and around Dallas during his career.
“On the theory that life is too short to spend it waiting for a new home to gain the charm given by age, Mr. and Mrs. I.C. Parker planned their recently completed home at 2920 Simondale Drive so that it would be ‘old’ when they moved in,” a Fort Worth Star-Telegram article from February 1938 reported.
The house’s exterior has a French provincial look with a turret reminiscent of an upside down ice cream cone.
The interior has its original stone floors and wood doors and beams. A winding staircase is made from solid oak planking with a hand-hewn banister treated to resemble oak.
Realtor Laura Ladner said the home has had four owners and this is her second time helping sell the property — she first sold the Simondale Drive house in the ‘90’s.
The 4,129 square foot home has two bedrooms, two full and two half bathrooms, and sits on nearly an acre of land, it’s backyard continuing down the bluff.
The current owners completely restored the home, stripping the doors painted gray back to their original dark wood color, matching hardware and making custom windows to architecturally match the rest of the house.
The living room is a step down from the foyer and has a large, working stone fireplace. Through the dining room and breakfast nook is a large kitchen with dark wood cabinets, white stone countertops, stainless steel appliances and a large farmhouse sink.
Off the kitchen is a family room with windows and a sidedoor that leads out to the backyard.
There is a shaded patio in the backyard with a pool and hot tub, grill area and detached brick tool shed. A steep stone stairway leads to the rest of the property which has flagstone pavement around an outdoor oven.
The utility room can be accessed from the backyard. The room has stone flooring, a vaulted ceiling, large farmhouse sink, shower and watercloset, and place for laundry machines. A door leading to the garage is also in the utility room.
Up the home’s winding staircase are two bedrooms along with two large closets and two full bathrooms. A balcony off the primary bedroom overlooks the back of the property.
Both old and new coexist in the home, from a milk door with its original steel door intact to a decorative fireplace in the study that was later added in for aesthetic purposes.
Old exterior and interior charm paired with modern amenities keeps this house true to the vision of its original owners.
The Simondale Drive house is listed at $3.985M by Burt Ladner Real Estate.
This story was originally published June 8, 2023 at 9:55 AM.
