Seven years to the day after fire gutted part of the 300 block of West Main Street, a phoenix sculpture assembled from pieces salvaged from the burned buildings is back in place on the block, KTEN reported Friday.
The sculpture stands in front of the Discover Denison Visitor Center, which now occupies ground that sat empty for years after the Oct. 9, 2019 fire.
From rubble to visitor center
The blaze destroyed three businesses and two residential lofts, according to KTEN's coverage of the visitor center's opening. The City of Denison later bought the land and built the center at 321 W. Main St. with $3.2 million in hotel occupancy tax revenue. It held its grand opening and ribbon cutting on May 22, 2025.
At that opening, city officials described the center as a place for visitors to learn about Denison. Its decor nods to the city's founding as a railroad town in 1872, including railroad tracks and a message board on the wall modeled on the arrival and departure boards in old train stations. It also stocks brochures and souvenirs.
More art on the block
The phoenix is not the only new piece of public art on that stretch of Main. In late September, a sculpture titled "You Smell Like Hot Dogs," showing a girl with her dog, was unveiled on the 300 block near the visitor center. Artist Jake Dobscha told KTEN at the time that he drew inspiration from last year's Kerr County floods.
