Christie L. Smith Collection

Named Collections > S > Smith, Christie L.

Westbrook Hotel Implosion 1978

Summary: Donor gave photographs she took January 29, 1978, from east side of the Westbrook Hotel, Fourth and Main Streets, Fort Worth, Texas, on the occasion of the implosion of the hotel. Photographer was employed as a legal secretary in the Sinclair Building at Fifth and Main when the images were taken. Prior to the implosion, citizens rescued hundreds of boxes of records from the doomed structure, which now reside in the Tarrant County Archives as the Westbrook Hotel Collection.

 

View the Christie L. Smith image gallery.

  1. Full eastern view of Westbrook Hotel, with corner of Burk Burnett Building to far left, NTT Company building on north end of block, Fort Worth National Bank behind the Westbrook
  2. Smoke beginning to show at bottom of building as implosion begins.
  3. Smoke rising on northern portion of building, back portion with stove pipe seen to be collapsing; eastern facade shows smoke emitting from lower portion.
  4. Building seen collapsing towards north; top floors of eastern facade still appear; much smoke/dust to north and east (image shown).
  5. Image is mainly smoke, sign at top of hotel can be seen falling into smoke. To rear can be seen Burk Burnett Building, 1st National Bank, Fort Worth National Bank; to right is NTT Company building
  6. Site of hotel is consumed with smoke; no indication of building.
  7. More smoke appears to be rising and expanding; some can be seen behind the NTT Company building moving across Third Street.
  8. Smoke has crossed street into Classified Parking lot where fire department trucks and personnel are standing; smoke has risen above rooftop of NTT Company building.
  9. Scene shows building debris in a stack, some smoke still darkening vision of surrounding buildings. The Sanger Building on Houston Street is visible; shadows of the Monnig's Department Store are seen through smoke at Fourth and Houston and Woolworth Building.
  10. Scene shows pile of debris with sign resting on top; still some smoke; behind debris is Monnig Building, Fort Worth National Bank, Sanger Building and northern portion of Houston Street block; rear of building seen to the far left is Richelieu Chile Parlor building.