Fort Worth (WBAP/KLIF) – A time-battered 95-year old building, north of downtown Fort Worth that once served as the meeting place for the Ku Klux Klan is set for demolition.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the building may be the last standing purpose-built Klan building in the U.S. And now, there is a move afoot by a Fort Worth group to restore and preserve the building with the overall goal of transforming it into a ‘site of healing.‘
The newspaper cites DNAWorks, a service organization that promotes cultural expression through the performing arts which is in discussions with Sugarplum Holdings, which owns the building, on the proposed restoration project.
“Adam McKinney, a TCU professor and co-director of DNAWORKS, pitched turning the large building at 1012 N. Main St. into an performance arts venue with an education center devoted to “peace and reconciliation training.” He said a transformed Klan hall would put Fort Worth at the center of national conversations about healing,” according to the publication.
They have 180 days to make a deal after the Fort Worth Commission on Historic Landmarks on Monday voted 5-1 to delay the demolition.
(Copyright 2019 WBAP/KLIF 24/7 News. This report contains material from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
