Originally built in the late 1800s, Woods House has existed in many forms throughout its long history.
First, as a home located in Quakertown, an old freedman’s community. Then, after residents of Quakertown were forced to relocate to the Southeast Denton neighborhood, the Woods House relocated too. There, it became one of the longest-standing Quakertown houses in the community before its final move, one that will memorialize the Woods House and the family that lived there, permanently.
After its relocation to the Denton County Historical Park in 2018 and following years of projects, the building has now been reopened to the public as the Woods House Museum. The museum’s grand opening occurred on April 11 with a ribbon cutting and dedication.
“May this house […] serve as a reminder of history,” said Alma Clark, a member of the Woods family and a member of the Denton Women’s Interracial Fellowship, during her speech at the ribbon cutting. “We thank you for the forethought of the men and women who saw this house and saw the need to preserve it.”
The museum now resides in the park at 317 W. Mulberry St., surrounded by other museums like the Bayless-Selby House and its former Quakertown neighbor, the Denton County African American Museum. The ceremony was attended by descendants of the Woods family along with county officials, employees from the Denton County Office of History and Culture and community leaders.
“This is my story because I came up in the age when we lived in these houses,” Denton County Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell said. “[…] I stand on the shoulders of everyone that came before me. I am so grateful that I am able to extend my appreciation, my gratitude, for all the work that’s been done and that’s gone into making this a place that everyone who didn’t have the opportunity to know what we know, to live the lives that we lived, and come and see.”
Also attending the grand opening ceremony was Judge Andy Eads, who retold the story of how the county came into possession of the Woods house. The house was originally up for demolition before Habitat for Humanity stepped in and worked with the county to save the building.
“I clearly remember the day when I was on the third floor of the Denton County Courthouse and I got a call from Habitat for Humanity, who said they had acquired some property,” Eads said in his speech. “[…] We really are trying to do a cross-section of Denton County history and preserving it. This Woods home, the important and meaningful story that it tells, is going to make sure that this important Civil Rights story that happened here locally in Denton County is not forgotten, but always remembered.”
Inside the museum are four main rooms, a recreation of a kitchen, bedroom and a living room, along with a room filled with information about the Woods family. All of the rooms are decorated with items representative of the 1960s, the era the museum takes imbues. Items such as vintage magazines, old-fashioned appliances and antique furniture are found throughout the exhibits.
“Our exhibit team, we worked together to decide what sort of artifacts and items we wanted to display that would reflect the time period,” said Kelsey Jistel, curator of educational programs for the office of history and culture. “We are just so excited for the public to see the space and to get a feeling when they step into the home of that time period and what it would have felt like and looked like — to learn about the African American community and what they went through during the Civil Rights era.”
The journey from transforming a house into a museum did not happen without a few setbacks.
The project, completed in several phases, was able to get most of its funding through a grant from Denton, funded by the hotel occupancy tax. However, issues such as termite damage in the building’s wood brought progress to a standstill.
“The project has definitely been a long time coming,” Jistel said. “We’re excited to open it today and welcome the community and welcome the family members. […] We’re just so lucky to be able to preserve this home.”
Beyond working on the interior furnishings of the museum, the Office of History and Culture also gave input on what would be featured on the text panels throughout the exhibits. Text panels inside the museum include “House on the Move,” detailing the history of where the Woods house has been located, the education of the Woods family and the military service of the Woods family.
“We put in a ton of hard work and everybody in our office has worked hard to make it look good and to get everything ready for the public and the family,” said Marlene Schaffer, a Denton resident who has worked for the office for the past year. “This has been one of my favorite jobs and I think everyone is just excited that it’s opening finally.”
As the ribbon was cut and people started walking in and out of the newly opened museum, Clark along with Denton resident and Ethel Woods Gray, who was born inside the house, could be found sitting on a couch in the museum’s living room exhibit. The same place that their family had lived generations ago.
Even as noise from attendees in the small house filled the rooms, Clark and Woods Gray sat in silence on the couch, knowing that their family’s story would be properly memorialized for all of Denton to see.
“We thank you for the many hours that people have put on preserving [the house],” Clark said. “May this house be a teaching lesson for years to come.”
