Mitchell-Schoonover Home
Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
James E. Mitchell, a jeweler, demanded a high degree of skilled craftsmanship in the construction of this house. Completed in 1907, it was designed by the Fort Worth architectural firm of Sanguinet and Staats. A friend, Dr. Charles B. Simmons, purchased the property in 1920. Ownership of the home was transferred to his daughter Maurine and her husband Dr. Frank Schoonover in 1945. The occupied the residence until 1979. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark- 1979.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Jeweler James E. Mitchell insisted on exacting craftsmanship when he built this home, completed in 1907 to the design of the noted Fort Worth firm Sanguinet and Staats. It passed in 1920 to his friend Dr. Charles B. Simmons and later to Simmons's daughter Maurine and her husband, Dr. Frank Schoonover, who lived there into 1979. The house reflects the polish of Fort Worth's professional class in a booming cattle-and-railroad city.
Why it matters
Designed by one of Texas's most influential architectural firms, the home reflects the prosperity and refinement of Fort Worth as it grew into a major hub of the early-20th-century Southwest.
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Related people
- ยท James E. Mitchell
- ยท Frank Schoonover
Themes & tags
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