11 Most Endangered
Fair Park's Texas Centennial Buildings
Year Listed: 1994, 1995
Location: Texas
Current Status: Saved
Threat: Deterioration, Neglect
In 1936, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Texas independence, an impressive grouping of exhibit buildings was constructed around a 700-foot-long reflecting pool and lagoon on the Texas State Fairgrounds. At a time when the world's fairs and expositions captivated the country, the Centennial was a celebration of the Lone Star State, Western culture and a wildly popular architectural style -- Art Deco. Intricate and beautiful murals, frescoes and sculptures were created to adorn the exposition building. Today, the Texas Fair draws more than 3 million people each October, but the still beautiful facades of the buildings conceal serious problems. Collapsing roofs, buckling walls and murals that are flaking or have been painted over are evidence of rapidly accelerating deterioration. Slowly, building by building, the City of Dallas and Friends of Fair Park are working to restore this National Historic Landmark District.
Update
Many of the buildings at Fair Park have been restored, but others are still in need of work. The estimated cost to bring the Landmark to good condition would be approximately $100 million, and an additional $300 million would be required to implement the Comprehensive Development Plan. The Friends of Fair Park will continue to work to preserve the historically significant art deco art and architecture of the 1936 Texas Centennial. The current project to recreate the Countertenor and Contralto statues that stood at the end of the Esplanade will be installed in Summer 2007 before the State Fair opens. In 2006, Fair Park received a $100,000 Save America’s Treasures grant for continued protection of the murals.
