HISTORY
Mont Del Estates occupies a hilly
area with breathtaking views seven miles west of the Fort Worth
Central Business District. It is part of the 1858 James Rogers
Survey and is in the city limits of Benbrook. The neighborhood
is bounded by Bryant Irvin Blvd. to the east, Loop I-20 to the
south, the Clear Fork of the Trinity River to the west and Legend
Road to the north.
Early owners of the area now
known as Mont Del, were Katherine G. Hutchins in 1933, Mrs. Chloe
Werner in 1937, J.E.R. Chilton in 1943 and Dr. Thomas J. Cross
in 1941. Dr. Cross, a medical doctor, owned about 200 acres of
the hilly open land. In the early 1960's his health began to
fail and, worried about what would happen to the land, he called
on his three sons-in-law to help. One son-in-law, Phillip W.
Bradbury, an architect, formed the Mont Del Corporation and bought
all the land from Dr. Cross and began development in 1964, with
phases continuing until 1970.
The land had a sewer running
through it but no water. Bradbury dug a well, put in a water
system and added a storage tank. The streets were finished in
October of 1965, and his house was the first one built, at #6
Bounty Road East. Porter Randall, a newscaster, bought a lot
and right away the area became very popular. The views were fantastic
and the atmosphere was one of country living. The City of Benbrook
ran a water line to the area and added a larger storage tank
which is still there today. Mont Del was called "Pill Hill"
for a time because of the large number of doctors who moved to
the area.
Mont Del Estates is restricted
to single family residences. Building restrictions include the
following: construction of brick or stone, approved roofing material,
attached garages or garages connected by a covered breezeway
and a minimum 2,400 square feet floor plan. This was one of the
city's first areas to have underground utilities. Although difficult
to dig in the rocky soil, they preserved the views.
Country Day Estates adjoins Mont
Del and lies at the foot of the Mont Del hills, between Mont
Del and the Clear Fork of the Trinity River and Southwest Blvd.
This land was originally dairy farms owned by J. R. Bryant in
1936, and the Irvin family, namesakes of Bryant-Irvin Road.
The Country Day Estates land
is included in the 1858 James Rogers Survey and is in the city
limits of Benbrook. Development of this land began with the start
of the Fort Worth Day School in 1968, which became Country Day
School in 1969, a private college preparatory school. The residential
area was first purchased by Phil Bradbury from Allen Connell
of First National Bank. To finalize the sale, Bradbury had to
locate Connell on his yacht in the Mediterranean. Bradbury then
sold the land to Enterprise Development of New York, bought it
back in 1978 and began development.
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NEIGHBORHOOD DESCRIPTION
The homes located atop the hills
of Mont Del have wonderful views. The streets are curved and
trees planted when the area was developed have grown to good
size. A small lake, complete with ducks, nestles in the valley
at the entrance to the area. Homes are of all descriptions, from
ranch style to contemporary, single and two-story. Many homes
incorporate decks to take advantage of the view.
Country Day Estates homes are
newer than those in Mont Del with some continuing to be built.
There are a few apartments and town homes and some commercial
structures, particularly along Southwest Blvd. Trees accent the
river.
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SCHOOLS
Elementary
Ridglea Hills Elementary, 6817 Cumberland Rd., 817-377-7345
Middle
Wm. Monnig Middle, 3136 Bigham Blvd, 817-377-7250
High School
Arlington Heights High, 4501 W. Rosedale, 817-377-7200
Private School - All Grades
Country Day School, 4200 Country Day Lane, 817-732-7718
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