Where I Live: After living in West Texas, library manager finds belonging in Fairmount

By Jenny Stewart

In 2015, I packed up my life in Midland and moved to Fort Worth to take a job at R.L. Paschal

High School. I was ready for a new adventure, but I had no idea that I was about to find the

place that would truly feel like home.

I landed in the Fairmount neighborhood, and almost immediately, I knew I was exactly where I belonged.

There is something special about this neighborhood, and while the beautiful historic homes and

tree-lined streets certainly don’t hurt, it’s the people who make Fairmount what it is. My neighbors are kind, generous and always willing to lend a hand. More than anything, Fairmount

is the first place in my life where I’ve felt completely comfortable being myself. That’s a pretty

remarkable gift for a neighborhood to give someone.

One of my favorite things about living here is how much life happens right outside my front

door. My dogs and I walk the neighborhood almost every day, visiting familiar spots and

greeting familiar faces. I love that I can walk down to Magnolia Avenue, grab a great cup of

coffee, enjoy a delicious meal, find a unique gift and maybe even come home with a new

record. Events like ArtsGoggle bring the entire community together and remind me how lucky

we are to have so much creativity and personality in our backyard.

And then there’s Halloween. If you’ve experienced Halloween in Fairmount, you understand.

The first year I saw the neighborhood come alive with decorations, costumes and families

filling the sidewalks, I knew I never wanted to live anywhere else. My grandmother passed

away before I moved to Fort Worth and I often think about how much she would have loved

seeing Fairmount at Halloween or celebrating Fairmount Festivus with the neighborhood.

This summer, my husband and I had what I consider a truly Fort Worth wedding. We signed our

marriage paperwork at a Mexican restaurant down the street and celebrated with a reception

at Forest Park Pool. It was perfectly us, and perfectly fitting for the life we’ve built here.

Today, I work for the Fort Worth Public Library, with the Ella Mae Shamblee branch serving as my home base. One of the greatest joys of my career has been watching young people I knew as students grow into adults, sometimes reconnecting with them years later through the public

library. It’s a wonderful reminder that communities grow alongside us.

Fairmount has given me friendships, a sense of belonging and a place to put down roots. I hope that through my work and the way I show up for my neighbors, I can give even a little of that back.

I came to Fort Worth looking for an adventure. I found a home.

Jenny Stewart is the librarian manager at the Ella Mae Shamblee Library, a branch of the Fort Worth Public Library.

Fairmount

Total Population: 3,354

Female: 48%

Male: 52%

Race:
White: 69%
Black: 0%
Hispanic: 27%
Asian: 0%
Two or more: 3%
Native: 0%

Education:
No degree: 16%
High school: 10%
Some college: 16%

Bachelor’s degree: 38%
Post-graduate: 21%

Click on the link to view the schools’ Texas Education Agency ratings:

E.M. Daggett Elementary School

Lily B. Clayton Elementary School

Daggett Montessori Elementary School

E.M. Daggett Middle School

Green B. Trimble Technical High School

Source: Census Reporter