Iconic Cleburne mural comes crumbling down - Cleburne, TX
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WalksfarTX
N 32° 20.751 W 097° 23.166
14S E 651875 N 3579917
Depicting significant historical local highlights, the mural in the Wright Plaza is a must-see attraction for tourists exploring Cleburne. But after a downpour Friday, the only sight left to see was a ton of painted cement pieces strewn about.
Waymark Code: WMWYFJ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/30/2017
Views: 2
Cleburne Times Review
Cleburne artist Stylle Read spent about a year and a half in 2009 painting the mural he calls “Wild Frontier, Trail Dust, And Rails.”
“I’m really frustrated and disheartened,” he said of learning about the damage. “These scenes are important things in Cleburne and Johnson County that are noteworthy.”
Two of the four scenes within the mural were destroyed.
The first scene recalls Cleburne’s 1906 Railroaders baseball team and its player, Tris Speaker, the Luck automobile and the first airplane built in Texas.
The second scene highlights the connection between Cleburne’s past and its future which is tied to the Barnett Shale natural gas formation. It also features local Indian fighter, Texas legislator, surveyor and frontiersman George B. Erath on horseback.
About five years ago, Read said he began to see cracks forming on the side of the building.
“There was some concrete stucco sloughing off,” he said. “Two years ago I did a face lift on it and I did what I could, but the cracks were still there. I knew we would have to monitor it. Then last summer some of that stucco separated from the brick wall.”
Over the weekend, Cleburne resident Gayle White said she recorded 3.17 inches of rain, which was enough weight in water to bring the wall down.
Read said he believes it could have been prevented.
“I’m just a painter; all I can do is call attention to the cracks,” he said. “I talked to three people that something had to be done because I knew it was going to fall off and either hurt or kill somebody or fall on some cars. The good thing on Friday is that there were no cars parked there.”
Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain remains hopeful, though, that the mural will be repaired.
“It depicts a lot of our history and it really adds to the beauty of our downtown,” he said. “I’m hoping to see more murals downtown in the future and certainly hope the return of the Wright Plaza mural will be included in that because it’s one of our treasures.”
Downtown Cleburne Association member Maxine Ammons said she also hopes the mural will be restored.
“A lot of people come here to see this,” she said.
Attempts to reach Wright Plaza owner Howard Dudley, who commissioned the work done by Read, were unsuccessful.