DCH Foundations: Fair Park Firsts to New Media Communications Center
Dallas City Homes was honored to attend the ribbon cutting at a new multi media center reopened as Science Place Two. This government access media center is available to nonprofits, students, and interns arranged through various city departments. It is the product of unused fees of cable TV subscribers that were unable to be used for city improvements, only communications. City officials whose hard work culminated in this state of the art and accessible facility hope that it will bridge a gap in communication with the community through the city website, social media content production, and cable access channels. This center is geared towards telling the story of Dallas Neighborhoods and the Dallas story, by and for the residents.
As this new center will help tell the story of the new and current Dallas, we would like to take the opportunity to take a look back at its foundations, literally. The Science Place Two building was formerly the historic Hall of Domestic Art from the 1936 Texas Centennial in Fair Park. The Fair Park comprises more than 50 buildings built in 1936 and 1937 as part of the World’s Fair celebrating the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Texas from Mexico and representing Western American Culture. The fair drew millions, had a number of culturally significant 1sts, and helped Dallas secure itself in the world as a center for innovation in agriculture, culture, and equality.
Some of the most notable 1sts at the Texas Centennial Exposition were The Hall of Negro life, where it is believed was the first recognition of African American culture at a World’s Fair, The Texas Centennial Olympics, the first integrated public athletic competition to be held in the South, and the Federal Theatre Project production of Macbeth, adapted by Orson Welles and assembled of an all black cast, in a fully integrated theatre. Dallas continues to strive towards equity, which we can help attribute to the producers of this event.
The Texas Centennial drew more than 6 million people and cost nearly 25 million to produce. 30 of the buildings remain and are designated on The National Historic Registry. Its’ development was attributed as helping shield Dallas residents from The Great Depression, having created 10,000 jobs and generating $50 million for the local economy.
The Fair Park remains one of the largest groupings of world’s fair buildings remaining in The United States and the new Science Place Two is a fitting dedication to the event and honors the message of inclusivity and commitment to Dallas telling its’ story to the world. We are excited to see the new messages that come from this facility and hope a look at its foundations were helpful to envision its future use.