Rivercrest Midcentury Estate on Bluff Acreage, Priced Below Appraisal

Approaching nearly a year of writing about Fort Worth real estate, I hope I am developing a nose for interesting properties.

I came upon 1412 Alta Drive early this week while making a delivery to a client. Intrigued by the façade, conspicuously modest for this premiere Rivercrest address, reticently hiding behind a brick wall, I suspected a potential trove of concealed bounty. And I wasn’t disappointed on entering, encountering a perfectly preserved midcentury time capsule. The land appears to have been owned for many years by Charles A. Fischer who, with Dixon T. Harbison, founded Harbison Fischer, an oil service company born in the Depression and still thriving to this day. Construction of the residence completed in 1952, and the property has remained in the family until the present.

The single ownership accounts for the vintage decor, which at times recalls House Beautiful circa 1960. The entry, anchored by a wall of windows, is light and springy. It funnels traffic to all points from the kitchen to the right, the master suite to the left, the living room in front, or the staircase to the lower level. A large space, it accommodates two sitting areas of its own.

Living and dining rooms are large and overlook the extensive western ridge views. Some might think the Adam-style bookcases and chimney piece out of sync with a mid-century modern, but I rather like the disjunctive eclectic note they strike.

The discreet facade masks the sweeping floor plan of nearly 6,400 square feet inside the five-bedroom, five-bath house. Oak hardwood floors run throughout. The decorator in me would love to see an upgrade to terrazzo.

New owners would almost certainly want to renovate the kitchen and they will find more than ample room to accommodate present day needs. Still, notice how impeccably maintained this home is from room to room. The vintage appliances look brand new.

The master suite is on the main floor, which is the upper floor. A glass-walled room behind serves as an office sitting area. The retro color almost appears modern. However, walls and ceilings throughout the house are impeccably smooth with nary a crack — paint ready.

The lower level has an informal living area with a brick fireplace. The pickled plank ceiling is an attractive feature. A wing has been added to this floor to create space for two additional bedrooms with dedicated baths

These rooms preserve their lovingly and immaculately maintained period decor. Laundry, served by a ceiling chute lies on this floor.

The back betrays the true scale of the home. I like the originality and strength of the composition with its central block flanked by near symmetrical angled wings, which underline the true westward orientation of the residence.

The lot, or should I say acreage, is the jewel in the crown of this listing. An almost unheard of seven acres (!) run from this Rivercrest bluff to the Trinity River Nature Area and trails below. Judicious pruning and extraction of brush and hackberry trees would burnish this gem. An infinity pool at the bluff end? I admit that I hold a sentimental wish that someone would take all of this in hand and redo, augment if needed, but preserve the existing structure. However, a 7.5 acre lot offered at $500,000 below the TAD-appraised value, in this most desirable location, will undoubtedly make the property an almost irresistibly, tempting target for redevelopment.

Martha Williams of Williams Trew has priced 1412 Alta Drive at $3.7 million

Eric Prokesh is an interior designer whose work has appeared on HGTV, and in books and publications including D Home, Southern Accents, House Beautiful, and House and Garden. In January 2005, HG named Eric one of the 50 tastemakers in America and D Home has included him as one of Dallas’ Best Designers for 10 years. Having lived most of his life in Dallas, he now calls Fort Worth home and is one of our experts on beautiful Fort Worth Dirt.