HistoricSiteMarkers
Progressive & Modern Era

Thannisch Block Building

Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas

Marker Inscription

The eastern portion of this structure was built in 1906-07 by Col. Thomas Marion Thannisch (1853-1935), one of north Fort Worth's early developers. Designed for use as a hotel and office space to serve the Stockyards community and trade, the building was expanded in 1913. The three-story commercial structure features decorative brickwork, chevron designs in the upper story, and a corbeled parapet.

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Built in 1906–07 by Col. Thomas Marion Thannisch, one of north Fort Worth's early developers, the eastern portion of this block rose to serve the booming Stockyards district as a hotel and office space. As cattle trade swelled the neighborhood, the building was enlarged in 1913 into a three-story commercial structure. Its decorative brickwork, chevron detailing, and corbeled parapet still mark the streetscape of the historic Stockyards.

Why it matters

The building is a surviving anchor of Fort Worth's Stockyards, the commercial heart of a city that made its fortune moving cattle to market.

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Related people

  • Β· Thomas Marion Thannisch

Themes & tags

Nearby & related markers

Fort Worth Stock Yards Entrance

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Thomas B. Saunders Family

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