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Stephen Montoya
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Stephen Montoya
In the Fort Worth Stockyards, a three-story warehouse now shines with a display rooted in a childhood tradition from Buffalo, New York — where Jordan Jayson, chairman and CEO of U.S. Energy Development Corp, grew up watching his parents light their home so brightly that the neighborhood called it the “Christmas house.”
Today, that glow crowns the refurbished Armour Building, a 50,000-square-foot relic east of the iconic Stockyards, which now serves as the headquarters for U.S. Energy Development Corporation. For Jayson, the building represents a convergence of two inheritances: the independent oil and gas company his parents founded and the ritual of holiday decorating that shaped his earliest memories.
Richard W. Rodriguez
Jordan Jayson
Jayson stepped into leadership of U.S. Energy after building a career on Wall Street, bringing with him the discipline and perspective he had gained before returning to the family business. Under his direction, the company has become a steady, competitive operator — thoughtful in strategy, resilient in practice, and positioned to navigate an industry that rarely holds still.
But it is the building’s seasonal glow — the giant cowboy Santa Clause, the garlands, the trees, the sweep of lights visible for blocks — that pulls people in. Adjacent to that same rooftop, Jayson and his sister Jacqueline spoke easily, their memories spilling out as warmly as the lights below during a conversation in early December.
“Historically, my parents were very, very into this time of year and Christmas decorations, and I would say they beat everybody to the punch,” Jacqueline said, laughing at the memory. “We’reso used to that now — part of our culture. You go through Highland Park and look at the fancy homes, but this was back in the mid-’70s.”
She went on to describe how their parents decorated the house so extensively that traffic officers were stationed out front and local news crews filmed the display. “We were known as the Christmas home in Buffalo,” she said.
Those childhood rituals — elves, candy canes, a Santa in the driveway — formed the core of the family’s seasonal identity.
Stephen Montoya
“We did have to dress up as elves,” Jordan said, smiling. “I’m not kidding. We’d stand in front of the house, and my mom would encourage other high school or college kids to help. We had a Santa handing out candy canes.”
Their mother, Jacqueline said, “always loved hosting parties, and she was always trying to find the things that would bring you happiness.”
The decorating wasn’t just a spectacle; it was a massive part of uplifting the community, Jordan noted. “She just wanted to bring joy to the neighborhood.”
When U.S. Energy bought the Armour Building, the family faced a question: What could this weathered warehouse contribute to Fort Worth? The renovation, led by Bennett Partners, preserved the building’s industrial bones while adding new life. Early in those design conversations, Jordan made one clear request.
“We started having all these meetings… one of my first conversations with them was that we intended to do something like this from a Christmas standpoint, so make sure the outlets and the electrical infrastructure can handle what you see right now,” he said.
Last year’s lights marked the first full display. “When they put ’em up last year, I was like, wow, this is amazing,” Jacqueline recalled. “And this year there’s probably 30% more.”
They’ve been careful, though, not to chase excess. “We don’t want to go too Griswold-ish,” Jordan admitted. “Maybe a Santa photo opportunity, but that’s it.”
When asked what their late parents would have thought of the display, Jacqueline said, “My mom would be ecstatic.” Jordan quickly chimed in, “Dad was never happy when he read the electric bill in January, but he never put a stop to it.”
They traded stories about the 600-pound steel angels their mother once insisted they haul into place, and about donating the decorations to the Buffalo Zoo when the family moved away.
“We’d drive by the Buffalo Zoo, and you’d see these huge steel snow angels… it was nice to go back and see that,” Jacqueline said. “In a small way, the zoo helped keep mom’s tradition alive.”
Here in Fort Worth, the Armour Building has quietly taken on a similar role. Visitors park just to walk past it. Friends detour on the way to dinner. Employees’ kids call it “the Christmas building.” One teammate’s daughter, working the nearby ice rink, told her friends she’d parked “in the Christmas building,” and the name stuck.
“It’s fun,” Jacqueline said. “This is actually really beautiful.”
Jordan nodded. “We think it looks great and we are happy to be able to contribute to the festivities of Fort Worth around the holidays.”
