National Archives at Fort Worth to Complete Move
Press Release · Monday, February 28, 2011

Washington, DC

National Archives and Records Administration – Southwest Region

Fort Worth, TX…The National Archives at Fort Worth will soon complete its move out of the Federal Depot on Felix Street where it has been for nearly 50 years. Last year, Archives staff moved over two million historical documents and the public research room for original documents to the Federal Records Center on John Burgess Drive near Everman Parkway and I-35W in south Fort Worth. By mid-February, 2011, the microfilm and public access computer research room and a classroom will move to the Montgomery Plaza building on West Seventh Street near the Cultural District contingent upon the General Services Administration’s (GSA) and National Archives’ final acceptance of the new space. The National Archives is currently working with the General Services Administration to ready this space for its use.

The original historical records stored at the Federal Records Center reflect the Federal Government’s presence in the four-state region of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Among the oldest records is a document, signed by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 – appointing a customs collector in New Orleans following the Louisiana Purchase. More recent NASA Johnson Space Center records document the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space exploration program and the subsequent Shuttle program. Overall the National Archives at Fort Worth has original documents from over 100 Federal agencies including Federal courts, Bureau of Indian Affairs (mostly from Oklahoma), Corps of Engineers, New Orleans Customs House, Department of Agriculture, and many more.

At the Federal Records Center, the archival records are preserved in a climate controlled room with closely guarded access. Persons interested in accessing the original historical records must make an appointment to view them during normal work hours, Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. To make best use of their time, researchers are encouraged to notify Archives staff in advance via email at ftworth.archives@nara.gov or by calling 817-551-2051. Prior to the move, the National Archives at Fort Worth hosted an average of 1,000 researchers annually using original records. All members of the public with a research interest are welcome.

The new Montgomery Plaza location will house microfilmed and digitized records that are used primarily for family history or genealogy research. It will contain ten public access computers for searching the growing volume of online genealogical information, along with microfilm readers for materials that are not yet digitized. There is no fee for using the resources at the National Archives’ research room which will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the 3rd Saturday of the month. Staff and volunteers will provide expert services to help researchers.

The National Archives at Fort Worth Montgomery Plaza location will also house a small classroom for educational sessions with teachers. National Archives staff will share information about the rich holdings that it maintains and how these documents can be used to enhance the classroom experience. The Education Center also has distance learning equipment which enables the Archives educators to broadcast sessions into schools throughout Texas and beyond. Having this equipment tied into a special network enables the Archives staff to reach hundreds or even thousands of students in a single session. One of the more popular distance learning sessions has been “Animals in Space”, which features historical records from the Johnson Space Center.

The National Archives move from the Federal Depot is part of a long-term effort by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to improve its facilities in order to meet strict archival preservation standards and provide more accessible locations for the public.

Federal Records Center — 1400 John Burgess Drive in South Fort Worth, dedicated in 2007. Original Archival records are located here.

Montgomery Plaza — West Seventh Street near Cultural District. First Floor location (east side) houses some National Archives offices and opens February 28, 2011.