Fort Worth Elks Lodge 124

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, in my own words. Now, Fort Worth has always had a way of building things meant to last — and in 1927, somebody decided to prove it. That somebody was Wyatt C.

Hedrick, a Fort Worth architect who lived from 1888 to 1964, and the man knew how to make a building announce itself. Hedrick designed what would become the headquarters of Fort Worth Elks Lodge 124, and construction ran through 1927 and into 1928. When it was done, what stood there was a five-story structure rising up from a raised basement — steel bones underneath, brick and cast stone veneer on the outside, metal balustrades catching the light, and shallow-relief detail that tells you somebody was paying attention to the fine points.

The style is Georgian Revival, which is a fancy way of saying this building was dressed for the occasion and knew it. For years it served as the lodge's home base, and more than that — visiting Elks members could stay there, a home away from home for fraternal travelers passing through Cowtown. Then came January 1955.

The Fort Worth Y.W.C.A. purchased the building, and just like that, the old Elks Lodge turned a new page. Some structures hold their ground through sheer stubbornness. Steel frame, brick veneer, cast stone trim — this one was built to outlast the organizations that called it home, and so far, it's doing exactly that.

What the marker says

Designed by Fort Worth architect Wyatt C. Hedrick (1888-1964) and built in 1927-28, this was the headquarters of the Fort Worth Elks Lodge and served as a residence for visiting Elks members until purchased by the Fort Worth Y.W.C.A. in January 1955. Featuring Georgian Revival style elements, the five-story structure on a raised basement is of steel construction with brick and cast stone veneer, metal balustrades, and shallow-relief detail. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark -1986.