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| On
the northwest corner of Cotton
Bowl Stadium near the left wing of the Hall
of State, the Embarcadero serves as another reminder of the Texas
Centennial Exposition. When it was built for the celebration,
the structure was called the Food Exhibit Building as a supplement
to the Agriculture Building across the street, evidenced by the similarity
in architectural design. The Food Exhibit Building actually consisted
of two sections joined together by a small lobby. The lower part became
the Embarcadero after the exposition and upper half served the public
as the Creative Arts Building. |
The
Embarcadero
Photo courtesy Clint Skinner, February 2016 |
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Walking up the
steps toward the main entrance, visitors looking to the right will
notice a smaller entryway that leads to a restaurant called The
Dock. The eatery serves the standard cuisine during the fair, but
offers plenty of insight into the fair's past. There are photos
and illustrations of various attractions from days gone by, accompanied
by sites which have withstood the test of time. One area showcases
pictures of diners visiting for the Red River Showdown. There are
also some historic relics displayed on the walls.
The main area of the building serves as a place for merchants to
sell their products at the state fair. Outside of the annual event,
the 27,000 square feet of space remains empty and unused. The oldest
feature is an exhibit space owned by the Gebhardt Chili Company.
Made for the exposition, it has wooden beams forming the ceiling,
green walls for the sides, an armoire and front counter constructed
from pecan, and a back counter made out of Mexican tiles.
Good Fulton & Farrell planned and supervised renovations for the
Embarcadero to preserve its deteriorating structure. Although the
company was contacted for the job in 2000, actual construction did
not start until 2003 because there was a lack of revenue. The project
came to a close in 2005.
December
12, 2016
© Clint
Skinner
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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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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage or recent photos, please contact
us. |
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