Juanita Craft House

Juanita Jewel (Shanks) Craft (1902-1985) was born in Round Rock and attended schools there and in Austin before earning certificates from Prairie View and Samuel Huston Colleges. She joined the Dallas Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1935 and became a pivotal NAACP civil rights organizer, childrens advocate, public servant and humanitarian. From 1950 until her death, she lived here, hosting nationally-known politicians and civil rights leaders, including Thurgood Marshall and Roy Wilkins. In the 1950s, artists such as Duke Ellington and Marian Anderson stayed in her home when touring Jim Crow Dallas. This craftsman-style bungalow was built in 1925 in Wheatley Place Addition, just south of Wheatley Place, one of Dallas first residential subdivisions developed exclusively for African American families. This area has been home to a remarkable community of educators, political reformers, musicians, artists and entrepreneurs. This house was a nexus for community mobilizations, social justice activism and political campaigns on local, state and national levels. As advisor to the South Dallas NAACP Youth Council, Juanita Craft shaped generations of youth from this house and on annual summer trips across the nation. Her backyard was the setting for countless barbeques bringing citizens from all communities together to address the issues of the day. The ability to surmount cultural, ethnic and social barriers and gather people together on the common field of their humanity was Juanita Crafts special gift. One of Dallas most beloved public figures, she bequeathed this home and an extensive historical estate to the public, so that future generations could come to understand the importance of service to community and nation. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2010 SUPPLEMENTAL PLAQUE: "I had no children, so I adopted the world." -- Juanita Craft

Juanita Craft House is a historical marker in Dallas, Dallas County, dedicated in 2010. It is one of 348 historical markers documented in Dallas County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 531 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.7647, -96.7670 near Dallas. The nearest cataloged historic site is Rush--Crabb House (historic place), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Levi--Topletz House, Levi--Moses House, and South Boulevard-Park Row Historic District.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507016679. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.