Denton County Magazine • Nov_Dec 21 • Community

Founded in 1878, Bartonville is 6.2 square miles wedged between Argyle and Flower Mound. Town council members are intent upon keeping its small-town feel.

It’s not that unusual today to see a resident on horseback in the town square in Bartonville, just 8 miles south of Denton.

They could be on their way to Thursday’s farmers market. Or if a car is more their speed, they could zip through a new drivethrough coffee shop or take it easy at the new Cloud Nine Salon or dine at the Golden Egg Cafe tucked behind a pond surrounded by beautiful trees.

The tiny town -- just 6.2 square miles, with 1,785 residents -- is ideally located in the crook of the bustling intersection of Interstate 35E and 35W between Lewisville Lake and Grapevine Lake.

Bartonville also is right next door to the master-planned Lantana residential development of 3,400 homes, several lakes, a golf course and a population of more than 9,400. While the area is growing up around them, Bartonville leaders are keeping a watchful eye on surrounding development, making sure their town maintains its cozy feel of country living.

“We are a charming Texas town and we plan on keeping it that way as long as we can,” Bartonville Place 4 Town Council member Bridget Melson wrote in an email.

While residents want to see pastures, ranch animals and open spaces, they also invite a healthy balance of new businesses and residential growth -- again, keeping the country look and feel Bartonville is known for, she said.

“We are always open to new ideas for businesses as long as it follows in line with our land-use plan,” Melson said.

Bartonville has gone through several changes over the years to become the town it is today. Bartonville originally was part of the Chinn’s Chapel settlement, an area established in 1853 by Elisha Chinn that eventually included the small communities of Bartonville, Shilo and Waketon.

Settled in 1878, Bartonville was named after T. Bent Barton. In 1886, a post office was established, and by 1890, Bartonville had 25 residents, a general store, a gristmill and a cotton gin, all owned by the Barton family. Bartonville’s population rose to an estimated 100 in 1896, and the town had three general stores. The post office closed in 1905.

In 1960, with cities such as Irving looking to expand northward, Bartonville incorporated to avoid annexation. The town then included Double Oak and Copper Canyon, as well as present-day Bartonville. When the fear of annexation subsided a few years later, Bartonville citizens voted to unincorporate. The population in Bartonville reached 380 by 1966.

The Bartonville Store, built in 1882, has a marker dedicated to its history. It traded hands several times, burned down about 1944, and was rebuilt and continued to operate until February 2013, when it was closed.

It reopened in 2019 and now includes Jeter’s Meat Shop. It is a gathering place with an appearance of an old gold rush building. The store features a stage that welcomes live music performers from across Texas and as far away as Nashville and an assortment of talent from Denton, including those from the worldrenowned jazz program at the University of North Texas.

“Bartonville pretty much grew up around the store,” said Tim House, who owns the business with his wife, Kathleen.

It was a stopping place for travelers on their way to market between Grapevine and Denton. Old-timers used to gather in the mornings and discuss politics over cups of coffee.

Jeter’s Meat Shop is known for Wagyu, a Japanese delicacy. The store attracts newcomers from nearby Lantana, visitors from throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area and old-timers who gather to eat and listen to music into the night.

“Sometimes a few people will get up and dance, but we have to move the tables to do that and we don’t have that much space,” House said.

Bartonville’s central location makes it a prime area for suburban development, but House is glad the town’s leaders resist it.

“There’s a reason our mayor refers to Bartonville as 6.2 miles of paradise,” House said.

“We want to keep that country feel and we are confident in the plans of our government leaders to keep it that way.”

“With a great town council, a solid land-use plan and the most heart-warming residents I have ever met, I see great things for the future of Bartonville,” she said.