A fire on the property and offices of the original Juneteenth Museum caught fire early Wednesday morning, Fort Worth fire officials say.
Fort Worth fire officials said the building home to the original Juneteenth museum run by Miss Opal Lee caught on fire though the Lee family has told NBC 5 that is not the case. Instead, the building on the property that was affected was used as an office and barber shop.
Shortly after 1:15 Wednesday morning, Fort Worth Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 1100 block of Evans Avenue. Upon Arrival, crews found the one-story wooden frame residential building fully engulfed in flames. Buildings on both sides of the structure also caught fire due to the wind.
Firefighters fought the fire for close to one hour before it was declared under control.
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JUNETEENTH
Additionally, all artifacts from the original museum were previously moved.
Back in September, the Fort Worth City Council announced a pledge of up to $15 million for the construction of a National Juneteenth Museum. The new museum, to be built at the corner of Evans and Rosedale on Fort Worth's Southside, will also be a tribute to Lee.
Known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," Lee has been a consistent advocate in bringing attention to the June 19 date in 1865 when federal Union troops arrived in Galveston and ensured all remaining enslaved people were free.
The new 50,000-square-foot museum is expected to cost about $70 million.
