Top o hill terrace photos

Most people would regard these items as the trappings of vice. The battlefield: forty-six oak-shaded acres on a hilltop in west Arlington. Frank Norris. And yet it all began so peacefully, even genteelly.

You may ask, what is Top 'O Hill Terrace? This illegal gambling establishment operated for more than 20 years, from the s, before finally being shut down in the mids. If you blink you might miss the small guard shack door, a reminder that these gates once held back law enforcement while being the only entrance to this property surrounded by a wired alarm system. Guards carefully vetted gamblers, bootleggers, gangsters, and entertainers with secret passwords before allowing them to cross the gates. The views of the surrounding area are amazing as this is one of the highest points in the county. Vickie Bryant, wife of the former University president, greeted me at the administration building the former casino and ushered me into a small room filled with books, photos, clothing, and other artifacts. Vickie has spent the last 20 years collecting memorabilia, stories, and photographs, and retelling this amazing story.

Top o hill terrace photos

Beulah Adams Marshall bought land here along the Bankhead Highway in the early s and opened a tea room, hosting teas and serving dinners to Dallas and Fort Worth patrons. In the late s, Fred and Mary Browning purchased the property and shortly began converting the facilities into a casino, adding an escape tunnel and secret room for hiding the gambling paraphernalia during raids. Known as Top O' Hill Terrace, the popular spot attracted gamblers as well as visitors who were often unaware of the gaming activities. The restaurant, along with the tea garden that exists today, was a legitimate business, operating alongside a brothel as well as the casino, which benefited from the nearby Arlington Downs Racetrack. Contemporary to the Top O' Hill heyday was the outspoken Dr. The conservative Norris, co-founder of Fundamental Baptist Bible Institute, later known as Bible Baptist Seminary and later as the Arlington Baptist College, was an ardent proponent of prohibition and gambling reform. In , Texas Ranger Captain M. In late , under the leadership of Earl K. Oldham, the Bible Baptist Seminary bought the property and relocated here, fulfilling Norris' promise, although neither he nor Browning had lived to see it. Today, the Arlington Baptist University continues to use the site, which retains many of its original structures and features a statue of Norris by noted Sculptor Pompeo Coppini. Top O' Hill Terrace.

But they also had powerful enemies: law enforcement and J. Browning and his Terrace had many powerful friends.

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Beulah Adams Marshall bought land here along the Bankhead Highway in the early s and opened a tea room, hosting teas and serving dinners to Dallas and Fort Worth patrons. In the late s, Fred and Mary Browning purchased the property and shortly began converting the facilities into a casino, adding an escape tunnel and secret room for hiding the gambling paraphernalia during raids. Known as Top O' Hill Terrace, the popular spot attracted gamblers as well as visitors who were often unaware of the gaming activities. The restaurant, along with the tea garden that exists today, was a legitimate business, operating alongside a brothel as well as the casino, which benefited from the nearby Arlington Downs Racetrack. Contemporary to the Top O' Hill heyday was the outspoken Dr. The conservative Norris, co-founder of Fundamental Baptist Bible Institute, later known as Bible Baptist Seminary and later as the Arlington Baptist College, was an ardent proponent of prohibition and gambling reform. In , Texas Ranger Captain M. In late , under the leadership of Earl K. Oldham, the Bible Baptist Seminary bought the property and relocated here, fulfilling Norris' promise, although neither he nor Browning had lived to see it.

Top o hill terrace photos

Most people would regard these items as the trappings of vice. The battlefield: forty-six oak-shaded acres on a hilltop in west Arlington. Frank Norris. And yet it all began so peacefully, even genteelly. On a hilltop with a grand view to the west she built an elegant building of timber and sandstone and opened a teahouse, hosting teas and dinners for ladies of refinement of Dallas and Fort Worth. Women were beginning to drive more in the early s, and the Bankhead Highway connected the teahouse to both cities. Onto the battlefield in stepped Fred C. Browning knew his way around a casino, had lots of contacts both inside and outside the law.

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Also note Frank Hamer of Bonnie and Clyde fame. Waggoner , who had built his Arlington Downs racetrack five miles east of the teahouse in , was lobbying the state legislature to allow parimutuel gambling. Thank you for visiting the site. The views of the surrounding area are amazing as this is one of the highest points in the county. Escape tunnels can be found around the spaces leading up to it. When raiders arrived at the guardhouse, the guards had to let them pass, of course, but only after a guard had stepped on a pin in the ground near the gate. The grounds were surrounded by an eight-foot chain-link fence wired to a security alarm. Inserting a knife blade into the outlet opened a door to a hidden closet where gaming equipment—roulette wheels, slot machines, gaming tables—was stowed when the buzzer signaled a raid. It was beyond the city limits—and city law enforcement. Browning knew that oilman W. Hometown by Handlebar.

Fred and Mary Browning purchased the property in the late s and began, immediately, an extensive remodeling of the house. The new owner first had the house moved aside so that the basement could be built; then, the house was replaced on top of the new basement. The main floor was the only visible structure above the ground.

The original tea garden had been retained. Today, the Arlington Baptist University continues to use the site, which retains many of its original structures and features a statue of Norris by noted Sculptor Pompeo Coppini. It was parklike. Can you post a link to Part 1? Great job! September 7, at am. The law and Norris kept up the public pressure. Norris was outraged. On one wall of the gaming room was what appeared to be an electrical outlet. The fact that it's all true made it even better. On a hilltop with a grand view to the west she built an elegant building of timber and sandstone and opened a teahouse, hosting teas and dinners for ladies of refinement of Dallas and Fort Worth. Depressing that pin activated a buzzer in the casino, alerting Browning and employees. Danny says:. In , Texas Ranger Captain M.