Denton Civic Center

View of the exterior of the west side. The land has been graded, but the patio has not been installed. Pottery lamps made by Beaumont Mood can be seen on the outer west side and under the breezeway.

View taken from the park of the north-facing side of the Denton Civic Center. Several staff entrances can be seen.

Three exterior doors made by Lynn Ford. They have brass handles and we believe the wood is fir.<br />
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These doors are on the south-facing side of the Civic Center. A covered breezeway protects the top half of the doors from the shade, while the bottom of each door has become bleached and dry. There are holes on each where the original locks were removed; some need to be patched. The weather-stripping at the bottom is coming off.

Wall sconce on the west side of the Civic Center

View of the walking track inside the Denton Civic Center. The building is circular. There are tall posts and a wooden railing with wood slats. Curtained windows line the upper curve.

This photo is focused on the very center of the Civic Center's ceiling. It looks like the wooden spoke of a bicycle wheel.

Photo of the newly built Civic Center taken at night. Lights can be seen inside and out.

An unknown man stands on a scaffold while painting the underside of the metal pergola in front of the Civic Center. The Beaumont Mood pottery lamps have been shielded by paper. A sign for the Civic Center hours reads, "Open for Jogging & Walking." The hand-carved doors made by Lynn Ford can also be seen.

In 1966, the contract for the new Community Building in the Denton Civic Center Complex was awarded to Cain & Cain, Inc. of Fort Worth, for $416,284 and foundation work began in August of that year.

The circular building was designed by architect, O'Neil Ford. About this particular style, he said, "our circular building idea was the best one we ever had... They made a bicycle wheel steel spoke style and made a circular room because people gather around; people dance in a circle... And it's the cheapest way to build because you can enclose more space in a circle...a certain amount of wall, than any other shape." (1)

The carved front doors were made by Lynn Ford. Globe-shaped pottery lamps hang outside under the pergola, while flush-mounted pendant lamps adorn the outside walls. All are made by Beaumont Mood, including urn-shaped pendant lamps inside.

Formal dedication ceremonies took place on November 18, 1967.

Notes

Interview with O'Neil Ford, 1976., Institute of Texas Cultures Oral History Collection, OHT 721.9 F 711, UTSA Special Collections. p.16-17
"DEDICATION, OPEN HOUSE. Weekend's Events Centered on Community Building." DRC 11/14/1967, p1A.

The following are excerpts from letters from O'Neil Ford to staff which can be found in the Denton Municipal Archives | Denton Public Library Records | 2019.010 Box 1, Folder 1-3.

To Mayor Warren Whitson, March 11, 1964:

"The most prevalent problem in passing such a bond issue seems to arise from the groups or individuals who do not quite understand that Denton changing fast, and also, that the use of Civic facilities such as you plan do their own generating of activities. It is rather difficult to explain that what one doesn't have is not missed and considerable imagination is required to visualize the great importance of a gathering place, a center, and a thing of beauty right downtown."

Architect O'Neil Ford of San Antonio presented a model of the proposed Community Building to be built in Denton's Civic Center to city councilmen following their regular meeting Tuesday. The multi-purpose building's final plans will be ready for the letting of bids in February or March, City Manager Jack Reynolds said. He said the proposed structure should cost "in the neighborhood of $400,000."

This is a photograph of the exterior of the Denton Civic Center. The building is brick. This photo is of the west side of the building. Several exit doors empty out onto a covered patio with a metal roof. The patio is used for vendors during an event, or for children to play on during summer camp.