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Dallas, Texas

FAIR PARK

National Historical Landmark

by Clint Skinner

33. Food and Fiber Building


Dallas Fair Park - Food and Fiber Building
Food and Fiber Building
Photo courtesy Clint Skinner, February 2016

Originally built as the Agriculture Building for the exposition, the structure is now called the Food and Fiber Building. The interior covers an area of 25,000 square feet. Almost a duplicate in design of the Embarcadero, it houses a variety of features pertaining to the farming industry. Small stands throughout the vicinity allow local and state companies to sell their food products. A general store in the center of the building allows visitors to purchase Texas-grown produce and other grocery items. There are also food sampling tables, an attraction that emulates a harvester machine, a gazebo for live performances, and a place to meet Elsie the Cow and her daughter Beauregard. Along the walls, visitors can view displays about agriculture on such topics as conservation, wheat, cotton, milk, pork, grain, and irrigation. All of this is only available during the fair. The rest of the time, the building remains an unused, empty husk.

Dallas Fair Park - Food and Fiber Building
Food and Fiber Building
Photo courtesy Clint Skinner, February 2016

The current building was under the threat of decay and disrepair when a decision was made to renovate it. Part of the project involved the restoration of two murals which had been covered by several layers of paint. The largest of the two depicts a group of field workers and the other shows a young woman representing fecundity. Both were thought to be the work of Carlo Ciampaglia until later evidence showed they were the product of an Italian artist named Hector Serbaroli. He moved to Mexico City to decorate the Teatro Nacional, then traveled to America when a revolution arose. He worked on commissions in California and taught at the Mount Tamalpais Military Academy.

1936 Texas  Centennial  Exposition  in Dallas aerial photo left enlarged
No. 9 - Hall of Agriculture
(1936 Texas Centennial Exposition in Dallas - Aereal photo left)
Click on image for full view

Courtesy Sarah Reveley

Work on the building's restoration was completed in 1999. It involved strengthening the foundation, replacing the roof, and upgrading the utility systems. Once that was accomplished, workers repaired the plaster, repainted the walls, and fixed the windows. The murals were returned to their former glory in 2001. This marked the completion of the first restoration effort on a Fair Park pavilion.


December 23, 2016
©
Clint Skinner



FAIR PARK - Attractions:

1. Fair Park Station
2. Main Entrance
3. Founders Statue
4. Women's Museum
5. DAR House
6. The Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial
7. Sydney Smith Memorial Fountain
8. Music Hall
9. Fair Park Esplanade
10. Centennial Building
11. Automobile Building
12. Hall of State
13. Tower Building
14. Big Tex Circle
15. Grand Place
16. Old Mill Inn
17. Magnolia Lounge
18. Hall of Religion
19. African American Museum
20. Leonhardt Lagoon
21. Dallas Museum of Natural History
22. Science Place I
23. Children's Aquarium
24. Fair Park Bandshell
25. Texas Discovery Gardens
26. WRR Headquarters
27. Science Place II
28. The Texas Star
29. Cotton Bowl Stadium
30. The Texas Skyway
31. The Embarcadero
32. The Creative Arts Building
33. Food and Fiber Building
34. Pan American Arena
35. The Woofus
36. The Swine Building
37. Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center
38. Livestock Pavilion and Arena
39. The Horse Barn
40. Fair Park Coliseum
41. Top of Texas Tower




References:
1.Bigtex.com
2.Dallashistory.org
3.Dallas Morning News Archives
4.Fairpark.org
5.Slate, John H. Historic Dallas Parks. Arcadia Publishing, 2010.
6.Tshaonline.org
7.Watermelon-kid.com
8.Wikipedia.org
8.Winters, Willis Cecil. Fair Park. Arcadia Publishing, 2010.



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