12-03-2025
Endangered building, part of Fort Worth's Black history, gets historic designation
One of the most endangered buildings in Fort Worth — home to one of the oldest African American women's fraternal organizations in the country — was approved as a Historic and Cultural Landmark Tuesday.
The Fort Worth City Council unanimously approved the designation for the Grand High Court of Heroines of Jericho at 3016 E. 4th St., northeast of Harmon Field Park, close to downtown Fort Worth.
A designation preserves the building from being demolished, provides a 10-year freeze on city property taxes and limits changes to the property.
The building was listed on Historic Fort Worth's Most Endangered Places List in 2024 and 2017. It serves as headquarters for all Heroines of Jericho chapters in Texas, a nonprofit charitable organization that has existed since the late 19th century, and holds official documents for each chapter.
Historic Fort Worth describes the building as 'a rare historic resource representing African Americans throughout the state.'
R. Lucille Samuel, who lives in El Paso, is the grand most ancient matron for the jurisdiction of Texas within the Heroines of Jericho, and she having this building designated is an honor.
'I believe in making that building a historical landmark is something that we can show to other states, what they can also do within their communities,' Samuel told the Star- Telegram.
A staff report from the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission stated the building meets 3 of the 8 criteria for designation and all aspects of integrity and identity, which makes it significant.
Some of the reasons the building is significant include:
it represents a 'rare historical resource for African Americans in the state, particularly as it identifies with a Black female organization,'
it shows a 'distinctive example of Mid-Century Modern architecture,'
it is associated with William Madison McDonald, an 'influential American politician, businessman, and banker in Texas during the late nineteenth century' who was a Grand Joshua, the staff report said.
The Heroines of Jericho's is an affiliation of the Prince Hall Freemasonry.
The Grand High Court of Heroines of Jericho was adopted in 1897 in Texas as the first female Masonic house of the Texas Prince Hall Masons and Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of Texas.
The organization advocated for racial uplift and social justice for the African American community.
There are over 900 members of the Heroines of Jericho in Texas. Fort Worth's local court is Centennial Court No. 500, which was chartered in 1984 and has about 30 members.
