DALLAS — The renovation of the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House is one step closer to completion following the Dallas City Council’s authorization of a $1.1 million construction services contract for interior and exterior restoration. Councilman Adam Bazaldua praised the continued efforts to restore the historic home in South Dallas to its heyday during a Jan. 12 city council meeting.

What You Need To Know

  • The restoration of the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House will be completed in 2022

  • In 2018, the home sustained extensive water damage after pipes burst, causing irreplaceable damage 

  • The Dallas City Council approved a $1.1 million construction services contract in January 

“It’s excellent that it’s happening on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Celebration Week,” Bazaldua, who represents the district in which the house resides, said. “This is a long-awaited rehabilitation of Ms. Craft’s home and it is finally happening.”

Several organizations and donors have poured money into the project. Last year, for the Junior League of Dallas’ centennial celebration, the nonprofit raised funds to help rehabilitate the residence. In an interview with Spectrum News 1, Elizabeth Dacus, then Junior League of Dallas president, said the estimated cost to repair the home totaled $1.4 million. She said that city and other community organizations had raised $750,000 and that the Junior League of Dallas would cover the remaining costs to finish the project.

“We’ve got a great network of folks that we work with and we’re trying to focus on individuals and foundations that would be interested in a project like this,” Dacus told Spectrum News 1. “Obviously, we raise money for other things as well and so we’re trying to match the right donor with the right project.”

 

The Dallas City Council authorized the construction contract for the restoration of the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights...

Posted by City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture on Wednesday, January 12, 2022

After the pipes in the home burst in 2018, the house sustained extensive water damage, causing a setback to construction efforts and the loss of notable items.

“It has been a long road since the devastating flood three and a half years ago,” Bazaldua said. “There have been key milestones like the completion of a historic structures report and securing a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service. But, this is truly just the beginning of the work to fix the home and reopen to the public so we can all learn from Ms. Craft’s legacy.”

Initially, the project was expected to be completed this spring, but Bazaldua said the project will be finished sometime later this year.

“I look forward to also celebrating Craft’s legacy in February at our meeting on Feb. 9 and accepting more amazing charitable donations for this work at that time,” said Bazaldua. “I want to give a big thank you to the Juanita Craft House steering committee and also to Jennifer Scripps and her department (City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture Office) for all the work and dedication they’ve put into this project.”