Hampshire

HISTORY

The Hampshire neighborhood, which is sometimes called South Meadowbrook, is located approximately three miles from the Fort Worth Central Business District and is included in the 1860 George N. Butts Survey and the 1858 Perry Anderson Survey. It is bounded by Lancaster Ave. on the north, Loop 820 on the east, the Union Pacific Railroad tracks on the south and Beach Street on the west.

Lancaster Avenue has undergone several name changes throughout its history. An 1876 map shows it as the Old Dallas Road, then in 1886, it was renamed Front Street and extended to the eastern and western city limits. Sometime after 1886, it was renamed Texas Street for a short period and finally was renamed Lancaster Avenue in 1931 in honor of T & P Railway President, John L. Lancaster.

The Texas and Pacific Railway (now Union Pacific) that runs along the southern border of this area came to Fort Worth from Dallas in 1876 because of the efforts of the entire citizenry of the village of Fort Worth. The town leaders at that time knew the railway was vital to the continued existence of Fort Worth, and insightful leaders such as B.B. Paddock saw Fort Worth as the center of railroad lines extending in all directions. Paddock's map showing his idea was called the Tarantula after resemblance to a spider.

There was also an interurban electric rail line operated by the Northern Texas Traction Company, running between Fort Worth and Dallas which passed through a part of the Hampshire neighborhood. This line opened in June of 1902 in the center median of the present day Highway 180, and in 1908 it charged five cents, traveled eight miles per hour and was furnished with brown leather seats which had the reputation of getting a little sticky during summer weather. This line remained open for 32 years and earned the company $1,250,000 in 1909. Texas Motorcoaches, a subsidiary of the Northern Texas Traction Company replaced the rail service with busses after automobiles made rail service unprofitable.

Some of the early property owners in Hampshire included Louise Davis in 1906, James Woodlan in 1906, W.C. King in 1905, and J.F. Ingram whose family retained land from 1925 to 1982.

NEIGHBORHOOD DESCRIPTION

Homes in Hampshire are generally small two bedroom, one bath frame structures with detached one or two car garages. Large trees shade these large lots. The streets in the area are all paved, but they do not all have curbs.

SCHOOLS

Elementary
Sagamore Hill Elementary, 701 Hughes, 817-531-6470

Middle
Meadowbrook Middle School, 2001 Ederville Road, 817-531-6250

High School
Eastern Hills High School, 5701 Shelton St., 817-496-7600

WILLIAMS TREW

FORT WORTH REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE

Williams Trew is a Fort Worth real estate brokerage specializing in residential real estate and offering some commercial real estate properties throughout Tarrant, Parker and Johnson Counties and serving the following cities: Aledo, Azle, Arlington, Benbrook, Burleson, Crowley, Fort Worth, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Haltom City, Keller, Kennedale, Mansfield, Mid-Cities, North Richland Hills and Watauga.