$398 raised by 9 donors
16% complete
$2,500 Goal
We are a small but ambitious organization; our goal is to preserve the history of our area, with a special emphasis of seeking out untold/undertold stories of Garland's diverse community. After producing (in 2024) a dynamic original musical drama, "The Flats: Cradle of a Community"", that focused on Garland's original African American settlement in downtown Garland, we are applying for a Texas Historical Marker to commemorate "The Flats" neighborhood as well as for a state marker to honor Sims Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Garland's first church to serve its Black citizens.
The Flats was a historic settlement that existed in downtown Garland from early in the last century until the early 1960s. Situated on downtown tracts now occupied by Garland's City Hall and Cultural Arts facilities, the Flats once was a free-standing neighborhood with its own school, churches, businesses, and homes, not untypical in the segregated South. It was the cradle of Garland's African-American community during that time period. The marker will be a permanent record of this lively, vibrant, resolute community that persevered through hardship and will enable citizens to learn about this largely unknown segment of our town's history.
Sims Chapel Church was founded in 1915 and was the hub of religious life in Garland for Black citizens for decades. The church is now 110-years old and is still thriving. Numerous prominent citizens and community leaders have sprung from this congregation. Sims Chapel has launched several other churches that had their start in its facilities.
Through North Texas Giving Day we seek gifts totaling $2,500 to help offset the cost of installing these two markers and to conduct ceremonies to honor the markers.
As a young organization with a packed agenda, funding is our organization's primary need. We have no paid staff. Office and other expenses are paid by directors so that every penny raised goes for programs and special projects. We would sincerely appreciate any size donation. We would welcome an individual or business to underwrite this project. The Friends of Magic 11th Street organization will give proper recognition for all gifts.
Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street exists primarily as a Nonprofit Corporation to preserve, promote, revitalize, and increase awareness of the residential and business potential and opportunities on 11th Street (both North and South) in the downtown area of the City of Garland, Texas. (South 11th Street is the original Garland Avenue, platted and named in 1913 and expanded in later years.) A secondary purpose of Friends is to inspire, motivate, assist, and lead by example for the entire Downtown Garland District (Garland Road on the west; West Avenue D on the south; First Street on the east; and Walnut on the north) and other geographical sites within the City of Garland. A special emphasis of the Friends organization is to help underrepresented groups in our city to be recognized with historic markers, programs, and in the performing arts as a means of preserving their history and telling their untold/undertold stories.
Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street seeks to apply for two Texas Historical Markers: one commemorating Sims Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, founded in 1915, Garland's first church serving the African American community, and commemorating The Flats, a historic Black settlement that existed in downtown Garland from just after the turn of the last century until the early 1960s. The Flats once was a free-standing neighborhood with its own school, churches, businesses, and homes—the cradle of Garland's African-American community during that time period. Through North Texas Giving Day we seek gifts totaling $2,500 to help offset the cost of the markers' installations, and special ceremonies to unveil the markers.
We are fully committed to being proactive in the area of race equity, working toward identifying areas in our community where the history of groups in our community have not been fully told and remedying this situation where possible. We will be sensitive toward race inequity wherever we find it and keep this at the forefront of all aspects of our operations and programs. Our goal is that our organization reach out and benefit the lot of all people.
Organization name
Friends of Garland's Historic Magic 11th Street
Causes
Community Improvement
Operating Budget
Less than $100,000
Counties Served
Dallas, Rockwall, Tarrant
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American
BIPOC Leadership
Both the Executive Director/CEO and Board Chair
Address
313 S. 11th Street