Central Handley Historic District
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Why it's listed
Handley was platted by the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1885, and this district preserves its commercial core, about seven miles east of downtown Fort Worth. Most of the 12 resources are 1-story Commercial Style brick storefronts built between about 1910 and 1933 along the north side of East Lancaster Avenue, originally Front Street. Their widths follow the original 25-foot lots, and the buildings sit close to the street on two-tiered curbs. The district also includes a 1924 metal-sided feed store, a Folk Victorian house and a 1930s drug store built of sandstone and petrified wood. Businesses here included groceries, drug stores, a bank, a theater, dry cleaners and post offices. Ten buildings contribute to the district's character, while two are counted as noncontributing because of stucco and replaced windows. A 1989 survey called it the finest ensemble of commercial buildings in East Fort Worth from the heyday of the Interurban, and that assessment supports its listing.
Significance in brief: The district is the best surviving ensemble of early 20th-century commercial buildings in East Fort Worth, from the heyday of the Interurban, and it was the commercial core of a railroad town platted in 1885. It holds businesses such as a feed store, dry goods store, drug stores and post offices, and it includes an unusual sandstone and petrified wood building. The form says most contributing buildings keep their historic integrity.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 01001472, listed January 17, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by E. Lancaster Ave., Forest Ave., Kerr St., and Handley Dr., Fort Worth |
|---|---|
| County | Tarrant County |
| Listed | January 17, 2002 |
| Reference number | 01001472 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | George Steven Carmack, contractor (attributed); V.L. Purselley, contractor; B.B. Adams, contractor |
| Architectural style | Late 19th-Early 20th Century American Movements: Commercial Style; Later Victorian: Folk Victorian |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current uses include specialty stores, businesses and restaurants; at least one building is listed as vacant. A feed store has operated continuously in the 1924 Howell building. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 32.73303, -97.21913 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 01001472.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5061154
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.