Historic and lovely, Westover Hills was “ground zero” for Fort Worth’s cattle and oil families during the 1930s and 1940s.
Most homes are architect-designed estate properties, and many are hidden from view by large walls or mature landscaping. Developer A.C. Luther and renowned local architect Wyatt C. Hedrick began developing the land in the early 1930s after purchasing it from Amon G. Carter. Located just west of the magnificent Rivercrest/Crestline neighborhood, the land was highly hilly and required even grander-sized homes to match the scale of the terrain.
More like the Hollywood Hills than a typical Fort Worth neighborhood, the place has a definite feel of old money that was once bold and young. In 2016, the neighborhoods of both Crestline and Westover Hills were bustling with construction vehicles as historic estate homes were being either dramatically renovated or scraped off the lots for new builds – some even larger and more abundant than the originals.
What began with Luther and Carter’s Fort Worth Extension Company resulted in a community of about 100 homes by 1940. In 1937, the citizens voted to incorporate The Village of Westover Hills primarily to avoid paying taxes to Fort Worth. The City of Fort Worth cut off the water supply to Westover Hills at one point after residents stopped paying water bills in protest of being charged twice the rate of other areas. After the hard feelings subsided, the water supply was restored more reasonably, and the 212 residents of Westover Hills raised tax money to pave the streets during the 1940s.
Conventional wisdom had previously been that the area was too rocky and hilly for development and that anyone in Fort Worth who wanted to build a large estate home would instead do so in neighboring Rivercrest. Locals even referred to Westover Hills as “Leftover Hills.” Despite the doubts and reservations, young families with new money from oil and cattle lined up to build homes, many exhibiting timeless character and architectural style- from traditional Tudor and Mediterranean to modern and contemporary. Though primarily built out by the early 1950s, a few other homes have slowly been added. At the western edge, the streets have been connected into the newer Ridgmar neighborhood, where mostly executive-style ranch homes were constructed in the 1970s
In 1969, Fort Worth businessman Charles Tandy commissioned world-renowned architect I. M. Pei designed his family residence, now the Hunter Barrett house, on the western edge of Westover Hills. Over 30 Westover Hills residences are listed in The Tarrant County Historic Resources Survey, including the Hunter Barrett house and Wyatt C. Hedrick’s home on Westover Road.
Unique Neighborhood Feature: Roy Pope Grocery
One of the sweetest benefits of living in Westover Hills is the nearby neighborhood grocery store founded in 1943 by Roy Pope. The store is now owned by owner/operator Chris Reale, who redeveloped it with partners Lou Lambert, Rodger Chieffalo, and Mark Harris. Chef Bria Downey of Clay Pigeon fame serves as culinary director, with Mikey Riojas as sommelier.
Conveniently located at 2300 Merrick, the gateway to Westover Hills. Featuring fresh seasonal produce, gourmet selections, a full deli and wine selection, Roy Pope Grocery is, above everything else, an oasis of service and quality serving the unique neighborhoods of West Fort Worth.
Westover Hills Shopping
Residents enjoy easy nearby access to the shops along Camp Bowie Blvd, Central Market, Hulen and Ridgmar Malls, and this gem of a neighborhood market that few other neighborhoods have. If you are on the fence about buying a home in Westover Hills, drop by Roy Pope, and you will want to live in a nearby neighborhood!
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