Revitalizing South Dallas’ Wheatley Place Starts at School

By Jay Firsching
Senior Associate and Historic Preservation Specialist, Architexas

Wheatley Place was platted in 1916 in an area known at the time as Queen City. Like many Black enclaves surrounding Dallas, it originated after the Civil War as a farming community outside the city limits. As Dallas slowly expanded, the extension of streetcar lines to outlying areas led to a boom in suburban development.

Of course, such development in Dallas at the time was greatly influenced by segregationist attitudes and city policies that prohibited Black citizens from living in white areas. Given that white citizens had no desire to migrate south of Dallas proper, Wheatley Place was left to flourish unencumbered. With its beautiful cottages and bungalows, this area was established as the city’s finest Black suburb and named in honor of African American poet Phillis Wheatley.

Building a School For Wheatley Place

A temporary wooden school that lacked indoor plumbing was among the first buildings in Wheatley Place. The school district didn’t complete a proper school for the neighborhood until 13 years later in 1929. Designed by prominent Dallas architects Flint & Broad in the Spanish Eclectic style, the building is of brick with elegant cast stone detailing ornamenting the entry bays. Original drawings on file at the Alexander Architectural Archives indicate the original construction included the first-floor cafeteria and second-floor gym/auditorium. As needs grew a new gym was constructed behind the main building in about 1960.

The school and its beautiful adjoining park served as the centerpiece of the community for decades. Upon its abandonment in 2013 due to low enrollment, the school became a symbol of blight. Still, the neighbors banded together to try to keep this treasure safe, forming their own patrols and reporting issues to the City of Dallas. 

Breathing New Life Into a Community

In 2019, Cornerstone Crossroads Academy (CCA) purchased the school with the goal of restoring the building’s vital place in the community. The organization operates a successful second-chance high school for older teenagers and young adults in the community. With 17 years of success in the South Dallas area, CCA’s core program is comprised of an accredited high school program, workforce training, and social services. Once the Phillis Wheatley School is fully renovated, the workforce training and social services programs will expand to serve the unemployed and underemployed residents of the neighborhood. 

Under the watchful eye of Executive Director Dr. Kristi Lichtenberg, CCA has performed repairs, done environmental remediation, and installed a portable building to serve as a temporary home while rehabilitation efforts are underway. Dr. Lichtenberg, a Wheatley Place resident since 2020, has engaged with neighbors to ensure renovations are done with neighborhood needs and interests in mind. Based on community input, the first phase of the project will focus on the complete rehabilitation of the 1960s gymnasium for use by the school and community at large. Rehabilitation of the gym is set to begin this year. 

Bringing Services to The Underserved

Under the proposed plan for the main building, multiple community programs will be served. One wing will be designated for an after-school program for elementary students who were displaced when Dallas ISD closed the school. A large room on the first floor will become the neighborhood resource room. Two area hospitals have requested space for telehealth services and outreach clinics. Both the auditorium and the cafeteria will be available for programs in the arts and youth outreach in partnership with area churches and other nonprofits. Every area of the building will be fully utilized to strengthen the neighborhood economically, socially, and creatively. 

CCA also intends to ensure that the rich history of Wheatley Place and the Phillis Wheatley School remains a defining feature through galleries, displays, and an oral history program. 

“For generations, students and families were educated, valued, and prepared to enter the world through tumultuous and peaceful times. The neighborhood and school were a refuge and place of hope,” Dr. Lichtenberg said. “It is imperative that the school be restored as a beginning of restoration for the entire neighborhood.”

Plans for the rehabilitation of the main building are under development with a goal of breaking ground in late 2023. 

If you would like to help restore the Wheatley School as a center dedicated to the enrichment of the surrounding Wheatley Place community, you can reach CCA through their website.