Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House and Museum
Dallas, Texas
2025 HISTORIC REHABILITATION AWARD
This unassuming Craftsman-style home, built in 1926 in South Dallas, became a powerful beacon of activism when Juanita Craft purchased it in 1950. At a time when Black homeowners faced discrimination, Ms. Craft transformed her house into a headquarters for civil rights organizing, mentoring, and civic engagement. Here, she hosted NAACP meetings, welcomed national figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Lyndon B. Johnson, and guided a movement that would change Texas forever. Among other Texans, Ms. Craft was instrumental in desegregating the University of Texas and the State Fair of Texas, and she organized 182 NAACP branches across the state.
Juanita Craft
Upon her death in 1985, Ms. Craft’s home was willed to the City of Dallas to serve as a house museum and community center. And in 1994, the house opened to the public as a museum, offering a glimpse into the way she lived.
By the time this rehabilitation project began in 2020, the house had endured many challenges. A burst sprinkler head in the attic a few years prior had caused extensive water damage, and asbestos was discovered in the wall and ceiling textures. This prompted the removal of most interior materials, leaving little more than the wood flooring intact. This condition opened up discussions about how the house could be interpreted in the future.
Guided by Treanor architects, the project included restoration of the exterior wood siding, soffits, rafters, doors, and windows, along with repainting, a new wood roof, improved site drainage, and structural improvements to the crawl space.
Interior spaces were carefully rehabilitated—walls were resurfaced, trim was replicated, and flooring was restored or replaced. The floor plan was retained to honor the original layout, but the interiors were also re-envisioned as interpretive spaces, telling the story of Ms.Craft’s life and work. The design process included several members of the neighborhood, stakeholders who had known and worked alongside Ms. Craft, and “Craft Kids” who remembered spending time in the home.
Modern interventions were integrated to enhance accessibility without compromising historic character. A new courtyard connects the main house to the adjacent “Little House,” which is now an accessible restroom, while minor adjustments were made to doorways to accommodate wheelchair passage.
Today, the Juanita Craft Civil Rights House and Museum is a designated City of Dallas landmark, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and contributes to the Wheatley Place National Register Historic District. It serves as both a museum and community center, hosting programs that connect residents, students, and visitors with the values Ms. Craft championed. The house strengthens neighborhood identity and pride while honoring one of Texas’s most influential civil rights leaders.
This project was made possible by funding from the National Park Service’s Civil Rights Grant Program, the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Friends of the Juanita Craft Civil Rights House and Museum, the Dallas Junior League, and the Juanita Craft Foundation.
The award was presented at Preservation Texas’s 2025 Honor Award Ceremony in San Antonio on October 30, 2025.
Owner: City of Dallas
Owner’s Project Manager: Ghassan Aswad, P.E. Project Manager Building Services Department, City of Dallas
Architects: Nancy McCoy, FAIA, FAPT (Principal-in-Charge), and Andreea Hamilton, AIA, LEED BD+C (Project Manager), Treanor
Engineers: JQ Infrastructure (Civil / Structural); Nova Engineering (MEP)
Contractor: Brian Beiling, Vice President of Business Development Nouveau Technology Services, LP
Other Partners and Stakeholders: Donna Carter, Carter Design Associates (Associate Architect);Caye Cook, Caye Cook Associates (Landscape Architect); City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture; South Dallas Cultural Center; Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House and Museum; Isometric Studio (Exhibit Design); Dallas Junior League; Friends of the Juanita Craft Civil Rights House and Museum; Juanita Craft Foundation
