​The Smithsonian’s arrival to Kinney County provided the spark. Inspired by the Museum on Main Street (MoMS) exhibit and its focus on the stories that bring communities together, local volunteers saw an opportunity to create a lasting legacy from the Smithsonian experience: bring the historic ballroom at Dickman Hall back to life.

​

The ballroom is an important part of Dickman Hall’s original story. Built in 1939 as Fort Clark’s Officers’ Club and Open Mess, Dickman Hall was the center of social life for officers and their families. Its second floor featured an airy ballroom with a hardwood dance floor—described in the building’s history as the only such amenity for miles around. Countless parties and gatherings were held there by members of the 5th Cavalry, 112th Cavalry, 9th Cavalry, and 2nd Cavalry Division.

​

Today, Bring Back the Ballroom is being undertaken by the local volunteers of Smithsonian Museum on Main Street and Legends at Las Moras. The Smithsonian program was the catalyst—the spark that inspired volunteers to look beyond hosting an exhibit and ask what they could leave behind for Fort Clark Springs and the community.

​

The goal is simple: restore the historic ballroom so it can once again be a place where people gather, celebrate, dance, and make memories.

​

Dickman Hall is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and is recognized within the Fort Clark Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Restoring its ballroom gives the Museum on Main Street volunteers an opportunity to turn the excitement generated by the Smithsonian into something tangible and enduring.

​

The Smithsonian brought the spark. Local volunteers are bringing back the ballroom.