Our Place in Fort Worth History
The two buildings that make up The Ashton Hotel played important roles in the community, business, architecture, and history of Fort Worth and both buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The six-story building of The Ashton Hotel was originally built in 1915 as the new home for the Fort Worth Club to function as a meeting place where community ties were formed and business deals were made.

The building was designed and built by the combined efforts of architect and builder Pollard and Bryce in an unique Italianate style, using wrought-iron balconies, decorative brick patterning, and cast stone. Even today it remains the only building of this style in Fort Worth.

As The Fort Worth Club expanded and outgrew the space, the building was sold to Oilman Floyd J. Holmes in 1922, when it became known as the Holmes Building. In 1949, Mid-Continent Supply Company, owned by Ken Davis, purchased the building. The building was owned and occupied by the Davis family until 1989.

The two-story building — where you’ll find The Ashton Hotel’s Meeting and Event rooms — was originally built in 1890 by attorney C.V. Winfree and his partner to house their law office. It is one of only eight commercial buildings built before 1900 that remains standing today, and the restored Victorian-style façade is a significant example of pre-1900 architecture.

The White Elephant Saloon occupied The Winfree Building from 1896 to 1907. In 1908, real estate developer Winfield Scott acquired the building and it became known to locals as "The White Elephant Building".

The two buildings were connected in a 1937 remodel and from 1937 to 1989 shared a history of integrated use.

The owners' vision to utilize the buildings as a hotel stemmed from the days when The Fort Worth Club occupied the building. The fourth floor of the club had sleeping rooms that could be used by Club members or their guests.

The Ashton Hotel was a historical redevelopment project in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. During an extensive five-year process, the exteriors of the 1915 Fort Worth Club Building and the 1890 Winfree Building were restored to their original architectural styles, while the interiors were transformed into an elegant setting for a hotel of the new millennium.