The Craft House
The historic home will be open for public tours by appointment only beginning in late May 2023. To schedule a tour or for more information, please call the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture at 214.670.3687 or email us.
The house stands as a historic landmark where significant people and events important to the collective fabric of the Civil Rights Movement were discussed, hosted, and launched.
As a woman of ordinary means who made an extraordinary contribution to racial and social justice, Mrs. Craft story and legacy has yet to be fully realized. Through the restoration of her home, her story will be curated and interpreted in a public national museum setting for visitors near and far.
1950-1985
Mrs. Craft moved into the 1925 Craftsman Bungalow style home at 2618 Warren Avenue home in 1950, when racial tension in the neighborhood was high. There were 11 bombings in the surrounding area from 1950-51 alone. Despite this, her home became a meeting place for African American youth, whom Craft educated on civil rights issues and believed would shape the future of the civil rights struggle. From 1950 until her death in 1985, her home near the Fair Park neighborhood served as command central for many pivotal civil rights moments in Dallas, across the state, and beyond. Civil rights leaders such as Thurgood Marshall and politicians such as Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter visited Juanita Craft in this home.
1985-1994
Juanita J. Craft died in 1985. She willed her home for civic use, and the home is now owned by the City of Dallas. The house is in the Fair Park neighborhood in the Wheatley Place Historic District. It consists of a 1,300 sq. ft. house and adjoining garden. The Craft House is designated as a Dallas City Landmark Commission site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a recorded Texas Historic Landmark property.
1994-2018
Craft made it known before her death that she wanted the home to be a place where people of all backgrounds could visit to understand how individuals can make a difference, and to appreciate the importance of service to community and nation. In 1994, the home began operating as a museum.
In 2018, the Craft House was damaged when a water pipe burst in the attic. Restoring the home is a partnership with the Dallas Office of Arts & Culture, Fair Park, the Junior League of Dallas and the Friends of the Juanita Craft Civil Rights House.
Restoration
“It is our hope that each person that crosses the threshold of Ms. Craft’s home is transformed into a better version of themselves, committed to actively participating in civic life,” Candace Thompson, Chair of the Friends of the Juanita Craft Civil Rights House & Museum
