Smith-Burnett Home
Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This area of Fort Worth became a fashionable subdivision during the early part of the twentieth century and attracted many prominent residents. In 1906 Fort Worth banker Ben O. Smith (1867-1932) purchased land at this site. He built a home here for his wife, Frances, who hosted many Fort Worth social gatherings. In 1916, the home was purchased by Tom Burnett, a prominent cattleman and the son of rancher S. Burk Burnett. The site retains historical significance for its association with these two prominent Fort Worth families.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
As Fort Worth blossomed in the early 1900s, this neighborhood became a fashionable address for the city's rising elite. Banker Ben O. Smith bought the site in 1906 and built a home where his wife Frances hosted the town's social set; a decade later it passed to cattleman Tom Burnett, son of the legendary rancher S. Burk Burnett. The house links the worlds of finance and the open range that together built early-twentieth-century Fort Worth.
Why it matters
The home connects two families who bridged banking and the cattle empire, illustrating how Fort Worth grew from a frontier cowtown into a modern city.
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Related people
- · Ben O. Smith
- · Tom Burnett
- · S. Burk Burnett
Themes & tags
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