Dr. James Lee Dickey's home is no more.
In the early morning hours of Sunday, July 10, a fire burned down the building of the future site of The Dickey Museum and Multipurpose Center in the 500 block of Burkett Street in Taylor. Firefighters and other first responders were on the scene.
"We are devastated by this. We are looking for answers," said Jennifer Harris, Dickey Museum and Multipurpose Center board president. "What happened? If this was intentional, why would someone do this? We just want to know what happened. If anyone has any information, please come forward."
The museum broke ground in January 2016 and has been in ongoing phases of renovation. The museum was to be housed inside Dickey’s original home.
"It is so heartbreaking to lose this important part of Taylor history," said Mayor Brandt Rydell.
As one of Taylor's notable residents, Dickey was one of 130 African American doctors in Texas and the first African American physician in Williamson County when he came to practice from the 1940s to 1950s. Outside of his office, Dickey's pursuits included advocating for education, civil rights and other local ventures. Harris has previously referred to Dickey as "The MLK of Taylor."
"Dr. Dickey was very inspiring person in the Black community of Taylor," said Harris in 2003 when the project began to take shape. "He helped everybody. He was Taylor's first Black doctor. He also assisted with getting the Fannie Robinson pool located at the park. He was instrumental in that as well as he worked with the school board. He was requesting books as well as other things for the Negro school - all this was before integration. He looked out for the community."
Among many distinctions, Dickey was named Citizen of the Year by the Taylor Chamber of Commerce in 1952. The doctor passed away in 1959.
Dickey’s home was designated historic by the Texas Historic Commission and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was unanimously nominated by the State Board of Review, and the Dickey Museum Task Force received a letter March 3, 2017, from the Director of the National Park Service in Washington, D.C. that announced the house, along with eight other properties in the nation, were added to the National Register.
The Dickey Museum and Multipurpose Center was set to provide information about African-Americans and the contributions they made to Taylor and the United States. It also will serve as a resource to teach African-American history through interactive and engaging exhibits.
The master site plan included a theater space, a meeting room, a wellness center, mediation area, playscape, basketball courts and a trail surrounding the museum that would connect to the city’s hike and bike trail. The total cost of the project was $508,000.
This is a developing story. More information as it comes or in a future edition of the Taylor Press
