Landscape Information
Located approximately two miles southeast of central Dallas, this modest, one-story bungalow built in 1924 was the home of civil-rights activist Juanita J. Craft (1902–1985). Establishing more than 180 branches of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), she led efforts to desegregate multiple institutions across the state. The home, purchased in 1950, was the seat of her work, where she held NAACP meetings and hosted influential figures—including Martin Luther King, Jr.; Thurgood Marshall; and Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter. Upon passing, Craft left her home to the City of Dallas, and following significant renovations, opened as a museum in 1994. During this time the city acquired an adjacent westward lot (1990) which was developed into a memorial garden (2004).
Situated north towards Warren Avenue, the home, set back from the street and enclosed by a metal fence, is fronted by a small lawn shaded by a crape myrtle tree. The level lawn is partially enclosed by a low, whitewashed stone retaining wall, responding to the subtly sloping terrain. A linear walkway leads from the sidewalk to an enclosed front porch, bordered by boxwood hedges. Lined with square planters, a parallel drive to the west leads to a furnished patio and small, rectangular lawn—which features round planters and an original brick barbecue pit (1950)—between the bungalow and a wood-frame garage (“Little House”). The patio adjoins the memorial garden, where an elliptical, flagstone pathway—surrounded by irregularly shaped beds of deciduous trees, including crape myrtle and pecan, and perennials, such as yucca and Black-eyed Susan—enclose a broad lawn, anchored at the south end by a circular bed of flowering shrubs.
The house is a contributing feature of the Wheatley Place Historic District (1995). It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
