We often run across businesses, organizations, or companies named after specific individuals without really knowing the history of the person whose name is being so used. It so happens that The Juliette Fowler Communities in Dallas was named after Juliette Peak Fowler, Dallas’ first female philanthropist and my aunt’s first cousin (five times removed).

Juliette long envisioned a place where elders, children and youth could dwell together and receive the help and services they needed. She traveled the state visiting and learning from various social service agencies but unfortunately died before she could execute her vision. She did, in her will, set aside some acreage and a trust fund to be used to realize her plan. Her older sister, Sarah Peak Harwood, picked up the gauntlet and chartered The Juliette Fowler Home for Children and the Aged in 1892.

The first home for children opened in 1904 in Grand Prairie. Harwood Hall, the first permanent structure on the East Dallas property, opened in 1911. Then in 1913, the children were moved to the East Dallas location, thus fulfilling Juliette’s vision for an intergenerational community.

Today, Juliette Fowler Communities includes independent and assisted living, health and rehabilitation services, memory support, foster care and adoption services, as well as The Ebby House for young women who have aged out of foster care. The community serves more than 700 individuals and their families, employs 160 team members and engages more than 2000 volunteers each year. All of which was born from one woman’s dream and generosity.

Michael Ondrasik and Home Video Studio specialize in the preservation of family memories through the digitalization of film, videotapes, audio recordings, photos, negatives, and slides. For more information, call 352-735-8550 or visit our website. And please watch our TEDxEustis Talk on YouTube at https://youtu.be/uYlTTHp_CO8.