The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth , Texas , hosts an art collection as well as traveling art exhibitions, educational programs and an extensive research library. Its initial artwork came from the private collection of Kay and Velma Kimbell, who also provided funds for a new building to house it.
109-480: The Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC) is a 120-acre (0.49 km) American public entertainment, sports and livestock complex located in Fort Worth, Texas . It is named for American humorist and writer Will Rogers . It is a popular location for the hosting of specialized equestrian and livestock shows, including the annual Fort Worth Stock Show , the annual National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity,
218-534: A Maori figure. The museum owns only a few pieces created after the mid-20th century (believing that era to be the province of its neighbor, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth ) and no American art (believing that to be the province of its other neighbor, the Amon Carter Museum ). The museum also houses a substantial library with over 59,000 books, periodicals and auction catalogs that are available as
327-475: A cycloid shape that were made from hinged plywood and lined with an oily coating so they could be reused to pour concrete for multiple sections of the vaults, helping to ensure consistency. The long, straight channels at the bottoms of the shells were cast first so they could be used as platforms to support the workmen pouring concrete for the cycloid curves. After all the concrete had been poured and strengthened with internal post-tensioning cables, however,
436-552: A humid subtropical climate (Cfa) according to the Köppen climate classification system, and is within USDA hardiness zone 8a. This region features very hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters. The hottest month of the year is August, when the average high temperature is 96 °F (35.6 °C), and overnight low temperatures average 75 °F (23.9 °C), giving an average temperature of 85 °F (29.4 °C). The coldest month of
545-521: A British painting. They set up the Kimbell Art Foundation in 1935 to establish an art institute, and by the time of his death in 1964, the couple had amassed what was considered to be the best selection of old masters in the Southwest . Kay left much of his estate to the Kimbell Art Foundation, and Velma bequeathed her share of the estate to the foundation as well, with the key directive to "build
654-583: A bit of gambling and carousing, then rode northward with their cattle, only to whoop it up again on their way back. The town soon became home to " Hell's Half-Acre ", the biggest collection of saloons, dance halls, and bawdy houses south of Dodge City (the northern terminus of the Chisholm Trail), giving Fort Worth the nickname of the "Paris of the Plains". Certain sections of town were off-limits for proper citizens. Shootings, knifings, muggings, and brawls became
763-501: A building of modest scale that would not overwhelm either the artwork or the viewer. After an extensive search that included interviews with such noted architects as Marcel Breuer , Mies van der Rohe , Pier Luigi Nervi , Gordon Bunshaft and Edward Larrabee Barnes , the commission was awarded to Louis Kahn in October 1966. From Kahn's point of view, Brown was an ideal client. Brown had been an admirer of Kahn's work for some time, and
872-507: A dinner in Fort Worth attended by Timothy Potts, the museum's director at the time (Eric M. Lee has been the director since March 2009); Kay Fortson, president of the Kimbell Art Foundation and a key figure in the creation of the original building; Ben Fortson, a trustee; and Sue Ann Kahn, Louis Kahn's daughter and a vocal opponent of the original plan for expansion. The new proposal was exactly in line with Louis Kahn's own thoughts for expansion:
981-633: A four-page "Policy Statement" and a nineteen-page "Pre-Architectural Program" in June 1966. After interviewing a number of prominent architects, the museum hired Louis I. Kahn in October 1966. Kahn's previous works included such acclaimed structures as the Salk Institute in California, and he had recently been honored by being chosen to design the National Assembly Building for what would become
1090-434: A future expansion, he said that it should "occur as a new building and be situated away from the present structure across the lawn". Esther Kahn, Louis Kahn's widow, published a letter voicing similar sentiments, noting that "there is room on the site for a separate building, which could be connected to the present museum." The project was cancelled a few months later. In 2006, the idea of an expansion surfaced once again at
1199-413: A lawn edged by pools with running water, the visitor enters a courtyard through a grove of Yaupon Holly trees. The sound of footsteps on the gravel walkway echoes from the walls on either side of the courtyard and is magnified under the curved ceiling of the entry porch. After that subtle preparation, the visitor enters the hushed museum with silvery light spread across its ceiling. Harriet Pattison played
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#17330845450831308-417: A matte surface texture. The museum has three glass-walled courtyards that bring natural light to the gallery spaces. One of them penetrates the gallery floor to bring natural light to the conservation studio on the ground floor. The landscape has been described as "Kahn's most elegant built example of landscape planning" by Philadelphia landscape architect George Patton. Approaching the main entrance past
1417-634: A museum of the first class." The foundation's board of trustees hired Richard Fargo Brown, then director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art , as the founding director of the museum with the task of constructing a building to house the Kimbell's art collection. Upon accepting the post, Brown declared that the new building should itself be a work of art, "as much a gem as one of the Rembrandts or Van Dycks housed within it." The proposed museum
1526-571: A new fort site near the West Fork and Clear Fork. On June 6, 1849, Arnold, advised by Middleton Tate Johnson, established a camp on the bank of the Trinity River and named the post Camp Worth in honor of the late General Worth. In August 1849, Arnold moved the camp to the north-facing bluff, which overlooked the mouth of the Clear Fork of the Trinity River. The United States War Department officially named
1635-516: A nightly occurrence. Cowboys were joined by a motley assortment of buffalo hunters, gunmen, adventurers, and crooks. Hell's Half Acre (also known as simply "The Acre") expanded as more people were drawn to the town. Occasionally, the Acre was referred to as "the bloody Third Ward" after it was designated one of the city's three political wards in 1876. By 1900, the Acre covered four of the city's main north-south thoroughfares. Local citizens became alarmed about
1744-475: A resource to art historians and to faculty and graduate students from surrounding universities. Brown's "Policy Statement" set a clear architectural direction by calling for the new building to be "a work of art", It was augmented by his "Pre-Architectural Program", which specified that "natural light should play a vital part" in the design and that "the form of the building should be so complete in its beauty that additions would spoil that form." Brown called for
1853-593: A separate building. At that time, the new structure was to be sited on land to the back of the Kahn building. In April 2007, the museum announced that Renzo Piano had been chosen to design the new building. Piano was an obvious choice because he had worked in Louis Kahn's office as a young man and had later established a reputation as one of the world's leading museum architects. Piano had been particularly active in Texas, designing
1962-401: A skylight system without peer in the history of architecture." Robert McCarter, author of Louis I. Kahn , says the entry gallery is "one of the most beautiful spaces ever built", with its "astonishing, ethereal, silver-colored light." Carter Wiseman, author of Louis I. Kahn: Beyond Time and Style , said that "the light in the Kimbell gallery assumed an almost ethereal quality, and has been
2071-491: A solid reputation for bringing in projects on time and within budget, but by their own admission they were not especially innovative. The contract called for control over construction to be turned over to Geren when Kahn had finished the design, a provision that eventually led to conflict because Kahn felt that a design was never finished until the building was constructed. Kahn once said, "the building gives you answers as it grows and becomes itself." The museum trustees settled
2180-821: A stop on the legendary Chisholm Trail , Fort Worth was stimulated by the business of the cattle drives and became a brawling, bustling town. Millions of head of cattle were driven north to market along this trail. Fort Worth became the center of the cattle drives , and later, the ranching industry. It was given the nickname of Cowtown. During the American Civil War , Fort Worth suffered from shortages of money, food, and supplies. The population dropped as low as 175, but began to recover during Reconstruction . By 1872, Jacob Samuels, William Jesse Boaz, and William Henry Davis had opened general stores. The next year, Khleber M. Van Zandt established Tidball, Van Zandt, and Company, which became Fort Worth National Bank in 1884. In 1875,
2289-803: A total area of 349.2 square miles (904 km ), of which 342.2 square miles (886 km ) are land and 7.0 square miles (18 km ) are covered by water. It is a principal city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex , and the second largest by population. The city of Fort Worth is not entirely contiguous and has several enclaves, practical enclaves, semi-enclaves, and cities that are otherwise completely or nearly surrounded by it, including: Westworth Village , River Oaks , Saginaw , Blue Mound , Benbrook , Everman , Forest Hill , Edgecliff Village , Westover Hills , White Settlement , Sansom Park , Lake Worth , Lakeside , and Haslet . Fort Worth contains over 1,000 natural-gas wells (December 2009 count) tapping
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#17330845450832398-428: A two-rut dirt road, which is now Bellaire Drive South. Up to the time of development, children enjoyed swimming in the river in a deep hole that was located where the bridge is now on Bellaire Drive South near Trinity Commons Shopping Center. The portions of Tanglewood that are now Bellaire Park Court, Marquette Court, and Autumn Court were originally a dairy farm. Downtown Fort Worth, with its unique rustic architecture,
2507-577: Is 2.6 inches (66.0 mm). The most snowfall in one month has been 13.5 inches (342.9 mm) in February 1978, and the most in a season 17.6 inches (447.0 mm) in 1977/1978. The National Weather Service office, which serves the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, is based in northeastern Fort Worth. Fort Worth is the most populous city in Tarrant County , and second-most populous community within
2616-476: Is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Tarrant County , covering nearly 350 square miles (910 km ) into Denton , Johnson , Parker , and Wise counties. According to the 2024 United States census estimate, Fort Worth's population was 996,756 making it the fifth-most populous city in the state and the 12th-most populous in the United States . Fort Worth is the second-largest city in
2725-407: Is also a notable district within downtown Fort Worth. It is bound roughly by Henderson Street to the east, the Trinity River to the west, Interstate 30 to the south, and White Settlement Road to the north. The neighborhood contains several small and mid-sized office buildings and urban residences, but very little retail. The Fort Worth Stockyards are a National Historic District . The Stockyards
2834-688: Is located in North Texas , and has a generally humid subtropical climate. It is part of the Cross Timbers region; this region is a boundary between the more heavily forested eastern parts and the rolling hills and prairies of the central part. Specifically, the city is part of the Grand Prairie ecoregion within the Cross Timbers. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has
2943-595: Is mainly known for its Art Deco -style buildings. The Tarrant County Courthouse was created in the American Beaux Arts design, which was modeled after the Texas State Capitol building. Most of the structures around downtown's Sundance Square have preserved their early 20th-century façades . Multiple blocks surrounding Sundance Square are illuminated at night in Christmas lights year-round. Fort Worth has
3052-562: Is represented by Maya works in ceramic, stone, shell, and jade , Olmec , Zapotec , and Aztec sculpture, as well as pieces from the Conte and Huari cultures. The African collection consists primarily of bronze, wood, and terracotta sculpture from West and Central Africa, including examples from Nigeria , Angola , and the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and Oceanic art is represented by
3161-597: Is that the strong Texas sun enters a narrow slot at the top of each vault and is evenly reflected from a curved screen across the entire arc of the polished concrete ceiling, ensuring a beautiful distribution of natural light that had never before been achieved. In 1989, director Ted Pillsbury, Brown's successor, announced plans to add two wings to the north and south ends of the building and chose architect Romaldo Giurgola to design them. A firestorm of protest erupted. Critics pointed out that founding director Brown's "Pre-Architectural Program" had specified that "the form of
3270-620: Is the first ship of the United States Navy named after the city. Nearby Dallas has held a population majority as long as records have been kept, yet Fort Worth has become one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States at the beginning of the 21st century, nearly doubling its population since 2000. Fort Worth is the location of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and several museums designed by contemporary architects. The Kimbell Art Museum
3379-488: Is the most extensive in the museum and includes Michelangelo 's first known painting, The Torment of Saint Anthony , the only painting by Michelangelo on exhibit in the Americas. It also includes works by Duccio , Fra Angelico , Mantegna , El Greco , Carracci , Caravaggio , Rubens , Guercino , La Tour , Poussin , Velázquez , Rembrandt , Boucher , Gainsborough , Vigée-Lebrun , Friedrich (the first painting by
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3488-454: The Dallas Herald published an article by a former Fort Worth lawyer, Robert E. Cowart, who wrote that the decimation of Fort Worth's population, caused by the economic disaster and hard winter of 1873, had dealt a severe blow to the cattle industry. Added to the slowdown due to the railroad's stopping the laying of track 30 miles (48 km) outside of Fort Worth, Cowart said that Fort Worth
3597-471: The 2020 United States census , Fort Worth had a population of 918,915 and 2022 census estimates numbered approximately 956,709 residents. There were 337,072 housing units, 308,188 households, and 208,389 families at the 2018 census estimates. The average household size was 2.87 persons per household, and the average family size was 3.50. Fort Worth had an owner-occupied housing rate of 56.4% and renter-occupied housing rate of 43.6%. The median income in 2018
3706-420: The 2020 census , continued population growth spurred further diversification with 36.6% of the population being non-Hispanic white, 34.8% Hispanic or Latino American of any race, and 19.2% Black or African American; Asian Americans increased to forming 5.1% of the population, reflecting nationwide demographic trends at the time. In 2020, a total of 31,485 residents were of two or more races . Located within
3815-553: The Bible Belt , Christianity is the largest collective religious group in Fort Worth proper, and the Metroplex . Both Dallas and Dallas County , and Fort Worth and Tarrant County have a plurality of Roman Catholic residents. Overall, the Dallas metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is more religiously diverse than Fort Worth and its surrounding suburbs, particularly in
3924-568: The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex , which is the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States and the most populous in Texas . The city of Fort Worth was established in 1849 as an army outpost on a bluff overlooking the Trinity River . Fort Worth has historically been a center of the Texas Longhorn cattle trade. It still embraces its Western heritage and traditional architecture and design. USS Fort Worth (LCS-3)
4033-605: The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . Its metropolitan statistical area encompasses one-quarter of the population of Texas, and is the largest in the Southern U.S. and Texas followed by the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area . At the American Community Survey 's 2018 census estimates, the city of Fort Worth had a population near 900,000 residents. In 2019, it grew to an estimated 909,585. At
4142-593: The Department of Texas in 1849. In January 1849, Worth proposed a line of 10 forts to mark the western Texas frontier from Eagle Pass to the confluence of the West Fork and Clear Fork of the Trinity River . One month later, Worth died from cholera in South Texas. General William S. Harney assumed command of the Department of Texas and ordered Major Ripley A. Arnold (Company F, Second United States Dragoons) to find
4251-888: The Menil Collection in Houston, a commission in Louis Kahn's studio at the time of Kahn's death, and the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas. He also designed the expansion for the Art Institute of Chicago and was co-designer of the Pompidou Centre in Paris. The schematic designs for the new Kimbell building were made public in November 2008, and the plans were released in May 2010. The 85,000 square foot (7,900 m ) structure would complement
4360-520: The Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art . In 1966, before the museum even had a building, founding director Brown included this directive in his Policy Statement: "The goal shall be definitive excellence, not size of collection." Accordingly, the museum's collection today consists of only about 350 works of art, but they are of notably high quality. The European collection
4469-559: The Republic of Texas and several Native American tribes was signed in 1843 at Bird's Fort in present-day Arlington, Texas . Article XI of the treaty provided that no one may "pass the line of trading houses" (at the border of the Indians' territory) without permission of the President of Texas , and may not reside or remain in the Indians' territory. These "trading houses" were later established at
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4578-445: The cycloid vaults would be too expensive and urged a flat roof instead. Kahn, however, insisted on a vaulted roof, which would enable him to create galleries with a comforting, room-like atmosphere yet with minimal need for columns or other internal structures that would reduce the museum's flexibility. Eventually a deal was struck whereby Geren would be responsible for the foundation and basement while Komendant would be responsible for
4687-515: The reversal migration , many African Americans have been relocating to Fort Worth for its affordable cost of living and job opportunities. In 2020, Fort Worth's mayor announced the city's continued growth to 20.78%. The U.S. Census Bureau also noted the city's beginning of greater diversification from 2014–2018. On February 11, 2021, a pileup involving 133 cars and trucks crashed on I-35W due to freezing rain leaving ice. The pileup left at least six people dead and multiple injured. Fort Worth
4796-482: The Acre accomplished little until 1917. A new city administration and the federal government, which was eyeing Fort Worth as a potential site for a major military training camp , joined forces with the Baptist preacher to bring down the final curtain on the Acre. The police department compiled statistics showing that 50% of the violent crime in Fort Worth occurred in the Acre, which confirmed respectable citizens' opinion of
4905-479: The Barnett Shale. Each well site is a bare patch of gravel 2–5 acres (8,100–20,200 m ) in size. As city ordinances permit them in all zoning categories, including residential, well sites can be found in a variety of locations. Some wells are surrounded by masonry fences, but most are secured by chain link. A large storage dam was completed in 1914 on the West Fork of the Trinity River, 7 miles (11 km) from
5014-536: The Cattlemen's Exchange saloon in the "uptown" part of the city. Reforming citizens objected to the dance halls , where men and women mingled; by contrast, the saloons or gambling parlors had primarily male customers. In the late 1880s, Mayor Broiles and County Attorney R. L. Carlock initiated a reform campaign. In a public shootout on February 8, 1887, Jim Courtright was killed on Main Street by Luke Short , who claimed he
5123-642: The Fort Worth Stockyards Company, is credited with bringing the two biggest meatpacking firms at the time, Armour and Swift , to the stockyards. With the boom times came a variety of entertainments and related problems. Fort Worth had a knack for separating cattlemen from their money. Cowboys took full advantage of their last brush with civilization before the long drive on the Chisholm Trail from Fort Worth north to Kansas . They stocked up on provisions from local merchants, visited saloons for
5232-461: The Kimbell from an institution with a great building into one whose collection matched its architecture in quality". In 1989, Pillsbury announced plans to expand the museum's building to accommodate its enlarged collection, but the plan was dropped because of strong opposition to any major alteration of the original Louis Kahn structure. In 2007, the Kimbell solved that problem by announcing plans to construct an additional, separate building across
5341-641: The Stockyards Station and a train via Grapevine Vintage Railroad , that connects to downtown Grapevine . Cowtown Coliseum hosts a weekly rodeo and also has the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. The world's largest honky tonk is also in the Stockyards at Billy Bob's . At the Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth is the only major city that hosts a daily cattle drive. Tanglewood consists of land in
5450-699: The World Championship Paint Horse Show, and three major events of the National Cutting Horse Association each year. It is also the former home of the Fort Worth Texans ice hockey team, and it hosted a PBR Bud Light Cup Series (later Built Ford Tough Series ) event annually from 1995 through 2004. Events at the WRMC attract over two million visitors annually. The complex contains the following facilities: The Memorial Center
5559-532: The activities, electing Timothy Isaiah "Longhair Jim" Courtright in 1876 as city marshal with a mandate to tame it. Courtright sometimes collected and jailed 30 people on a Saturday night, but allowed the gamblers to operate, as they attracted money to the city. After learning that train and stagecoach robbers, such as the Sam Bass gang, were using the area as a hideout, he intensified law enforcement, but certain businessmen advertised against too many restrictions in
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#17330845450835668-439: The approach he specified for the building was very much in line with Kahn's, particularly its emphasis on natural light. Because Kahn had a reputation for significant time and cost overruns, a local engineering and architectural firm owned by Preston M. Geren was made associate architect, a practice followed in Fort Worth for out-of-state architects. Frank Sherwood served as their project coordinator. The Geren organization had
5777-445: The area as having bad effects on the legitimate businesses. Gradually, the cowboys began to avoid the area; as businesses suffered, the city moderated its opposition. Courtright lost his office in 1879. Despite crusading mayors such as H.S. Broiles and newspaper editors such as B. B. Paddock, the Acre survived because it generated income for the city (all of it illegal) and excitement for visitors. Longtime Fort Worth residents claimed
5886-445: The area. After Camp Bowie (a World War I U.S. Army training installation) was located on the outskirts of Fort Worth in 1917, the military used martial law to regulate prostitutes and barkeepers of the Acre. Fines and stiff jail sentences curtailed their activities. By the time Norris held a mock funeral parade to "bury John Barleycorn " in 1919, the Acre had become a part of Fort Worth history. The name continues to be associated with
5995-481: The artist acquired by a public collection outside of Europe), Cézanne , Monet , Caillebotte , Matisse , Bonnard , Mondrian , Braque , Miró and Picasso . Works from the classical period include antiquities from Ancient Egypt , Assyria , Greece and Rome . The Asian collection comprises sculptures, paintings, bronzes, ceramics, and works of decorative art from China , Korea , Japan , India , Nepal , Tibet , Cambodia , and Thailand . Precolumbian art
6104-448: The artwork. Richard Kelly, lighting consultant, determined that a reflecting screen made of perforated anodized aluminum with a specific curve could be used to distribute natural light evenly across the cycloid curve of the ceiling. He hired a computer expert to determine the exact shape of the reflector's curve, making it one of the first architectural elements to be designed with computer technology. In areas without art, such as
6213-537: The back door on the ground floor, missing the entry experience that Kahn had designed. The new building will solve the problem with an underground parking garage. After visitors ascend to the gallery level of the new building, they can exit it and walk across the lawn and the courtyard to enter the original building as Kahn had intended. The Kimbell Art Museum derives around 65% of its $ 12 million budget from its unrestricted endowment of more than $ 400 million. The endowment fell from $ 466 million to $ 398 million during
6322-615: The broader Progressive Era package of reforms. In 1911, the Reverend J. Frank Norris launched an offensive against racetrack gambling in the Baptist Standard and used the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth to attack vice and prostitution. When he began to link certain Fort Worth businessmen with property in the Acre and announced their names from his pulpit, the battle heated up. On February 4, 1912, Norris's church
6431-406: The building should be so complete in its beauty that additions would spoil that form," and that Kahn had achieved that goal extraordinarily well. A group of prominent architects signed a letter acknowledging the need for additional space but arguing that the proposed addition would compromise the proportions of the original. They noted that when Kahn himself was questioned about the possibility of
6540-497: The business end of town and the more costly residential areas, the city's black citizens settled into the southern portion of the city. The popularity and profitability of the Acre declined and more derelicts and the homeless were seen on the streets. By 1900, most of the dance halls and gamblers were gone. Cheap variety shows and prostitution became the chief forms of entertainment. Some progressive politicians launched an offensive to seek out and abolish these perceived "vices" as part of
6649-528: The capital of the new nation of Bangladesh . Construction for the Kimbell Art Museum began in the summer of 1969. The new building opened in October 1972 and quickly achieved an international reputation for architectural excellence. Brown also expanded the Kimbell collection by acquiring several works of significant quality by artists like Duccio , El Greco , Rubens , and Rembrandt . After Richard Fargo Brown's death in 1979, Edmund "Ted" Pillsbury
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#17330845450836758-407: The ceiling height and provide other benefits as well. The relatively flat cycloid curve would produce elegant galleries that were wide in proportion to their height, allowing the ceiling to be lowered to 20 feet (6 m). More importantly, that curve could also be used to produce a beautiful distribution of natural light from a slot in the top of the gallery across the entire gallery ceiling. Kahn
6867-636: The city's geographical/architectural features, such as Panther Island (in the Trinity River), the Flat Iron Building, Fort Worth Central Station , and in two or three "Sleeping Panther" statues. In 1876, the Texas and Pacific Railway finally was completed to Fort Worth, stimulating a boom and transforming the Fort Worth Stockyards into a premier center for the cattle wholesale trade. Migrants from
6976-509: The city, helping many residents receive royalty checks for their mineral rights. Today, the City of Fort Worth and many residents are dealing with the benefits and issues associated with the natural-gas reserves underground. On March 28, 2000 , at 6:15 pm, an F3 tornado struck downtown Fort Worth, severely damaging many buildings. One of the hardest-hit structures was the Bank One Tower, which
7085-482: The city, with a storage capacity of 33,495 acre feet of water. The lake formed by this dam is known as Lake Worth . Downtown Fort Worth consists of numerous districts comprising commercial and retail, residential, and entertainment. Among them, Sundance Square is a mixed-use district and popular for nightlife and entertainment. The Bass Performance Hall is located within Sundance Square. Nearby Upper West Side
7194-440: The curved parts of the shells carried the weight of their lower straight edges instead of the other way around. To prevent the shells from collapsing at the long light slots at their apexes, concrete struts were inserted at 10-foot (3 m) intervals. A relatively thick concrete arch was added to each end of the shells to stiffen them further. To make it clear that the curved shells are supported only at their four corners and not by
7303-484: The devastated war-torn South continued to swell the population, and small, community factories and mills yielded to larger businesses. Newly dubbed the "Queen City of the Prairies", Fort Worth supplied a regional market via the growing transportation network. Fort Worth became the westernmost railhead and a transit point for cattle shipment. Louville Niles, a Boston , Massachusetts -based businessman and main shareholder of
7412-401: The distinguishing factor in its fame ever since." Creating a natural lighting system that has evoked such acclaim was challenging, and Kahn's office and the lighting designer Richard Kelly investigated over 100 approaches in their search for the proper skylight system. The goal was to illuminate the galleries with indirect natural light while excluding all direct sunlight, which would damage
7521-408: The galleries called for angular vaults of folded concrete plates with light slots at the top. Brown liked the light slots but rejected this particular design because it had the ceilings 30 feet (9 m) high, too high for the museum he envisioned. Further research by Marshall Meyers, Kahn's project architect for the Kimbell museum, revealed that using a cycloid curve for the gallery vaults would reduce
7630-455: The ground floor. Each interior vault has a slot along its apex to allow natural light into the galleries. Air ducts and other mechanical services are located in the flat channels between the vaults. Kahn used several techniques to give the galleries an inviting atmosphere. The ends of the vaults, which are made of concrete block, are faced with travertine inside and out. The steel handrails were "blasted" with ground pecan shells to create
7739-444: The issue by deciding that Geren would report directly to them instead of to Kahn, but that Kahn would have final say over the design, except that any changes would have to be approved by Brown. The new museum was to be built on a gentle slope below the Amon Carter Museum , whose entrance and terrace faced the Fort Worth skyline. Kahn was asked to build the Kimbell museum no more than 40 feet (12 m) high so it would not interfere with
7848-578: The junction of the Clear Fork and West Fork of the Trinity River in present-day Fort Worth. A line of seven army posts was established in 1848–1849 after the Mexican War to protect the settlers of Texas along the western American Frontier and included Fort Worth, Fort Graham , Fort Gates , Fort Croghan , Fort Martin Scott , Fort Lincoln , and Fort Duncan . Originally, 10 forts had been proposed by Major General William Jenkins Worth (1794–1849), who commanded
7957-436: The lead role in the landscape design and is also the person who suggested that open porches flanking the entrance would create a good transition from the lawn and courtyard to the galleries inside. Pattison, who had also worked with Kahn on other projects, was an employee of Patton. She is the mother of film director Nathaniel Kahn , Louis Kahn's son who made the film "My Architect" about his father. Kahn's first design for
8066-409: The lobby, cafeteria and library, the entire reflector is perforated, making it possible for people standing beneath to glimpse passing clouds. In the gallery spaces, the central part of the reflector, which is directly beneath the sun, is solid, while the remainder is perforated. The concrete surfaces of the ceiling were given a high finish to further assist the reflection of the light. The result
8175-462: The low areas along the branch of the Trinity River and is approximately five miles southwest from the Fort Worth central business district. The Tanglewood area lies within two surveys. The western part of the addition is part of the 1854 Felix G. Beasley survey, and the eastern part, along the branch of the river, is the 1876 James Howard survey. The original approach to the Tanglewood area consisted of
8284-529: The museum's roof form as a vault , but Komendant explained that it was actually a shell playing the role of a beam . More precisely, as professor Steven Fleming points out, the shells that form the gallery roofs are " post-tensioned curved concrete beams, spanning an incredible 100 feet" (30.5 m), which "happened to have been the maximum distance that concrete walls or vaults could be produced without requiring expansion control joints ." Both terms, vault and shell, are used in professional literature describing
8393-623: The museum. True vaults , such as the Roman vaults that Kahn admired, will collapse if not supported along the entire lengths of each side. Not fully understanding the capabilities of modern concrete shells , Kahn initially planned to include many more support columns than were necessary for the gallery roofs. Komendant was able to use post-tensioned concrete that was only five inches thick to create gallery "vaults" that need support columns only at their four corners. The Geren firm, which had been asked to look for ways to keep costs low, objected that
8502-437: The museum. Kahn was deeply troubled by the negative impact of the automobile on city life; he once spoke of "the destruction of the city by the motor car." Fundamentally opposed to the idea of orienting buildings to the automobile, Kahn placed the main parking lot in the back of the building, intending for visitors to walk around the building and enter through carefully planned landscaping. Most visitors, however, entered through
8611-596: The next morning before a breakfast meeting of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, then proceeding to Dallas where he was assassinated later that day. When oil began to gush in West Texas in the early 20th century, and again in the late 1970s, Fort Worth was at the center of the boom. By July 2007, advances in horizontal drilling technology made vast natural gas reserves in the Barnett Shale available directly under
8720-464: The original building but not mimic it. Unlike the original, its lines would be rectilinear, not curvilinear. Like the original, however, it would have three bays with the middle bay stepped back from the other two. The new building expansion, named the Renzo Piano Pavilion, was officially inaugurated to the public on November 27, 2013. The new building should also resolve a parking issue at
8829-449: The place was never as wild as its reputation, but during the 1880s, Fort Worth was a regular stop on the "gambler's circuit" by Bat Masterson , Doc Holliday , and the Earp brothers (Wyatt, Morgan, and Virgil). James Earp , the eldest of his brothers, lived with his wife in Fort Worth during this period; their house was at the edge of Hell's Half Acre, at 9th and Calhoun. He often tended bar at
8938-471: The post Fort Worth on November 14, 1849. Since its establishment, the city of Fort Worth continues to be known as "where the West begins". E. S. Terrell (1812–1905) from Tennessee claimed to be the first resident of Fort Worth. The fort was flooded the first year and moved to the top of the bluff; the current courthouse was built on this site. The fort was abandoned September 17, 1853. No trace of it remains. As
9047-620: The principal cities' counties. The oldest continuously operating church in Fort Worth is First Christian Church , founded in 1855. Other historical churches continuing operation in the city include St. Patrick Cathedral (founded 1888), Saint James Second Street Baptist Church (founded 1895), Tabernacle Baptist Church (built 1923), St. Mary of the Assumption Church (built 1924), Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church and Parsonage (built 1929 and 1911), and Morning Chapel C.M.E. Church (built 1934). Kimbell Art Museum The building
9156-664: The shells aren't supported by those walls either. In addition to revealing the building's structure, these features bring additional natural light into the galleries in a way that is safe for the paintings. The vault roofs, which are visible to approaching visitors, were covered with lead sheathing inspired by the lead covering of the complexly curved roofs of the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy. David Brownlee and David DeLong, authors of Louis I. Kahn: In The Realm of Architecture , declare that "in Fort Worth, Kahn created
9265-601: The southern end of Fort Worth. In 1921, the whites-only union workers in the Fort Worth, Swift & Co. meatpacking plant in the Niles City Stockyards went on strike. The owners attempted to replace them with black strikebreakers . During union protests, strikebreaker African-American Fred Rouse was lynched on a tree at the corner of NE 12th Street and Samuels Avenue. After he was hanged a white mob riddled his mutilated body with gunshots. On November 21, 1963, President John F. Kennedy arrived in Fort Worth, speaking
9374-500: The street from the original building. While this did not alter the Kahn structure, it did significantly alter Kahn's work. Kahn had designed the building to be approach from the lawn, and the new structire significantly altered that plan. Designed by Renzo Piano , and relocated to the west lawn, the new structure opened to the public in November 2013. The museum is part of the Monuments Men and Women Museum Network, launched in 2021 by
9483-450: The upper floors and cycloid shells. Kahn placed one of these shells at the front of each of the three wings as a porch or portico to illustrate how the building was constructed. The effect was, in his words, "like a piece of sculpture outside the building." Thos. S. Byrne, Ltd. was the contractor for the project, with A. T. Seymour as project manager. Virgil Earp and L. G. Shaw, Byrne's project superintendents, designed forms with
9592-476: The vaults. The vaults are grouped into three wings. The north and south wings each have six vaults, with the western one open as a portico . The central space has four vaults, with the western one open as an entry porch facing a courtyard partially enclosed by the two outside wings. With one exception, the art galleries are located on the upper floor of the museum to allow access to natural light. Service and curatorial spaces as well as an additional gallery occupy
9701-582: The view from the Carter Museum. Kahn initially proposed a low but very spacious building 450 feet (137 m) square, but Brown rejected that proposal and insisted that Kahn design a much smaller structure, a decision that would have repercussions several years later when a proposal to expand the building created a storm of controversy. The museum is composed of 16 parallel vaults that are each 100 feet (30.6 m) long, 20 feet (6 m) high and 20 feet (6 m) wide (internal measurements). Intervening low channels separate
9810-414: The walls at the ends of the vaults, thin arcs of transparent material were inserted between the curve of the shells and the end walls. Because the stiffening arches of the shells are thicker at the top, the transparent strips are tapered, thinner at the top than at the bottom. In addition, a linear transparent strip was placed between the straight bottoms of the shells and the long exterior walls to show that
9919-410: The year is January, when only 1.70 inches (43.2 mm) of precipitation falls. The driest calendar year since records began has been 1921 with 17.91 inches (454.9 mm) and the wettest 2015 with 62.61 inches (1,590.3 mm). The wettest calendar month has been April 1922 with 17.64 inches (448.1 mm), including 8.56 inches (217.4 mm) on April 25. The average annual snowfall in Fort Worth
10028-507: The year is January, when the average high temperature is 56 °F (13.3 °C) and low temperatures average 35 °F (1.7 °C). The average temperature in January is 46 °F (8 °C). The highest temperature ever recorded in Fort Worth is 113 °F (45.0 °C), on June 26, 1980, during the Great 1980 Heat Wave , and June 27, 1980. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Fort Worth
10137-484: Was "King of Fort Worth Gamblers". As Courtright had been popular, when Short was jailed for his murder, rumors floated of lynching him. Short's good friend Bat Masterson came armed and spent the night in his cell to protect him. The first prohibition campaign in Texas was mounted in Fort Worth in 1889, allowing other business and residential development in the area. Another change was the influx of Black and African American residents. Excluded by state segregation from
10246-616: Was $ 58,448 and the mean income was $ 81,165. The city had a per capita income of $ 29,010. Roughly 15.6% of Fort Worthers lived at or below the poverty line. In 2010's American Community Survey census estimates there were 291,676 housing units, 261,042 households, and 174,909 families. Fort Worth had an average household size of 2.78 and the average family size was 3.47. A total of 92,952 households had children under 18 years living with them. There were 5.9% opposite sex unmarried-partner households and 0.5% same sex unmarried-partner households in 2010. The owner-occupied housing rate of Fort Worth
10355-573: Was 59.0% and the renter-occupied housing rate was 41.0%. Fort Worth's median household income was $ 48,224 and the mean was $ 63,065. An estimated 21.4% of the population lived at or below the poverty line. At the 2010 U.S. census , the racial composition of Fort Worth's population was 61.1% White ( non-Hispanic whites : 41.7%), 18.9% Black or African American , 0.6% Native American , 3.7% Asian American , 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander , 34.1% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), and 3.1% of two or more races . In 2018, 38.2% of Fort Worth
10464-593: Was appointed director of the museum. Previously he had been the director of the newly opened Yale Center for British Art , which, coincidentally, was also designed by Louis Kahn . He had also been a curator at the Yale Art Gallery, Kahn's first art museum. Pillsbury continued the art acquisition program in an aggressive but disciplined fashion. Richard Brettell , director of the Dallas Museum of Art, said, "He was, in some ways, single-handedly responsible for turning
10573-671: Was built in 1936 and designed by architect Wyatt C. Hedrick , who employed the Moderne (Art Deco) style. Also in 1936, Amon G. Carter commissioned Electra Waggoner Biggs to create the statue Riding into the Sunset , a tribute to Will Rogers and his horse Soapsuds. Over a decade later, in 1947, the work was unveiled at the Center. On March 22, 2016, the complex was placed on the National Register of Historic Places . Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum
10682-401: Was burned to the ground; that evening, his enemies tossed a bundle of burning oiled rags onto his porch, but the fire was extinguished and caused minimal damage. A month later, the arsonists succeeded in burning down the parsonage . In a sensational trial lasting a month, Norris was charged with perjury and arson in connection with the two fires. He was acquitted, but his continued attacks on
10791-454: Was designed by Louis Kahn , with an additional designs by Renzo Piano . The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth was designed by Tadao Ando . The Amon Carter Museum of American Art , designed by Philip Johnson , houses American art. The Sid Richardson Museum , redesigned by David M. Schwarz , has a collection of Western art in the United States emphasizing Frederic Remington and Charles Russell . The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
10900-454: Was designed by Ricardo Legorreta of Mexico. In addition, the city of Fort Worth is the location of several universities including, Texas Christian University , Texas Wesleyan , University of North Texas Health Science Center , and Texas A&M University School of Law . Several multinational corporations, including Bell Textron , American Airlines , and BNSF Railway , are headquartered in Fort Worth. The Treaty of Bird's Fort between
11009-494: Was designed by architect Louis I. Kahn and is widely recognized as one of the most significant works of architecture of recent times. It is especially noted for the wash of silvery natural light across its vaulted gallery ceilings. Kay Kimbell was a wealthy Fort Worth businessman who built an empire of over 70 companies in a variety of industries. He married Velma Fuller, who kindled his interest in art collecting by taking him to an art show in Fort Worth in 1931, where he bought
11118-530: Was given space in a 9.5 acre (3.8 hectare) site in Fort Worth's Cultural District , which was already home to three other museums, including the Fort Worth Art Museum-Center (now the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth ) and the Amon Carter Museum , specializing in art of the American West . Brown discussed the goals of the institution and its new building with the trustees and summarized them in
11227-532: Was non-Hispanic white, 18.6% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian or Alaska Native, 4.8% Asian American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from two or more races, and 35.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), marking an era of diversification in the city limits. A study determined Fort Worth as one of the most diverse cities in the United States in 2019. For contrast, in 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Fort Worth's population as 72% non-Hispanic white, 19.9% African American, and 7.9% Hispanic or Latino. By
11336-408: Was once among the largest livestock markets in the United States and played a vital role in the city's early growth. Today the neighborhood is characterized by its many bars, restaurants, and notable country music venues such as Billy Bob's . Fort Worth celebrity chef Tim Love of Iron Chef America and Top Chef Masters has operated multiple restaurants in the neighborhood. There is a mall at
11445-462: Was one of the dominant features of the Fort Worth skyline and which had "Reata," a popular restaurant, on its top floor. It has since been converted to upscale condominiums and officially renamed "The Tower." This was the first major tornado to strike Fort Worth proper since the early 1940s. From 2000 to 2006, Fort Worth was the fastest-growing large city in the United States; it was voted one of "America's Most Livable Communities". In addition to
11554-475: Was pleased with this development because it allowed him to design the museum with galleries that resembled the ancient Roman vaults he had always admired. The thin, curved shells needed for the roof were challenging to build, however, so Kahn called in a leading authority on concrete construction, August Komendant , with whom he had worked before (and who, like Kahn, was born in Estonia ). Kahn generally referred to
11663-425: Was so slow that he saw a panther asleep in the street by the courthouse. Although an intended insult, the name Panther City was enthusiastically embraced when in 1876 Fort Worth recovered economically. Many businesses and organizations continue to use Panther in their name. A panther is set at the top of the police department badges. The "Panther City" tradition is also preserved in the names and design of some of
11772-764: Was the home of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo for many years. The rodeo is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). Dickies Arena , which opened in November 2019, is located adjacent to the complex. The 14,000-seat venue has hosted the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo since 2020, as well as concerts and early-round games in the 2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament ; however, Will Rogers Memorial Center continues to operate as an equestrian arena in Fort Worth. Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth
11881-475: Was −8 °F (−22.2 °C) on February 12, 1899. Because of its position in North Texas, Fort Worth is very susceptible to supercell thunderstorms , which produce large hail and can produce tornadoes . The average annual precipitation for Fort Worth is 34.01 inches (863.9 mm). The wettest month of the year is May, when an average of 4.58 inches (116.3 mm) of precipitation falls. The driest month of
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