Preserving History

Preserving Beaumont's Historic Treasures

Beaumont has lots of history and two very special restoration stories that may be of interest to you. The Jefferson Theatre, a 1920s theatre that was named Best Restoration by the state of Texas this year and Hotel Beaumont, another Best Restoration project. Please find their project narratives below:

Project Narrative: Hotel Beaumont
Best Restoration
Beaumont, Texas

How bad can it get? Look no further than the Hotel Beaumont. This 11 story 101,000 sq ft structure, built in 1922 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was so dilapidated, dangerous and ugly that the community had given up. In fact, the City of Beaumont razed another similar hotel one block away. Disaster was looming. The owner was delinquent in payment of property taxes, the fire department made at least weekly trips to the Hotel to calm anxious residents and react to the latest fire alarm, and the plaster on the lobby ceiling was falling so frequently that the old grand piano was wheeled around to catch the falling debris. In the early 90s, an electrical fire was so dangerous that residents lived in a hotel several weeks. Life safety issues were enormous.

It would be very costly to restore the structure. The building had shafts from the basement up to the eleventh floor that allowed a fire to spread quickly. Louvered doors on every floor made the spread of fire even worse. The Hotel had no sprinkler system and the fire alarm was archaic. The roof was so bad that one of the building's commercial tenants borrowed large salad bowls from the Hotel kitchen to catch water. The pipes were original, the 1938 heat and air systems were very "special" and were fired up ever year on a "wing and a prayer." The building was full of asbestos and every window needed re-building. Another difficulty was that the elderly residents had to occupy the building during construction. Picture this...76 senior citizens eating, sleeping and recreating in a 75-year-old building under construction. Every resident had to move three times in order for each floor to be restored. A nightmare...

Yet, this place had to be saved. The Hotel stood as a silent witness to the Spindletop Oil discovery that put America on the map as the preeminent economic powerhouse of the 20th century. Many oil deals were struck inside these Hotel walls while elaborate parties, famous guests, the sounds of Harry James from the Sky Room and lively community events in the Rose Room were constant. Affordable housing for seniors was needed, not low income, just affordable. The Hotel is large and an anchor in downtown Beaumont with its 11 floors and over 100,000 square feet. Its demise would only fuel the flame of those that did not support any investment in the historic district. We could not afford to loose another National Register property. Every one in town was connected to the Hotel Beaumont. Main Street's reputation as a "can do" organization was on the line and the city was tired of dealing with the whole subject of the Hotel Beaumont.
Enter the National Development Council (NDC), the nation's leading not-for-profit corporation specializing in economic and housing development finance. Main Street staff and representatives of the City of Beaumont begged, followed, cajoled and finally captured the interest of the NDC. NDC spent three years researching the viability of the project, including the mission of the Hotel, the availability of diverse funding, the support of the City of Beaumont, Beaumont Main Street and the community as a whole.

Finally, $7.6 million of funding was secured. Just as 277 investors formed the Beaumont Hotel Company in 1919 in order to build this Hotel, a new group of investors joined forces to restore this historic property. Funding was secured from the National Development Council's Housing and Economic Development Corporation, Hibernia National Bank, First Bank & Trust, Community Bank and Trust, the City of Beaumont, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fannie Mae, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, HOT funding, numerous private local foundations and a long list of individuals. A powerful public/private sector partnership! Fourteen months of construction and not one resident left the Hotel, all systems and the roof were replaced, a new kitchen was built, every room was renovated without reconfiguring any original space, the outside was restored AND ADA, HUD and historic requirements were met. Even beautification was brought to every hallway, the dining room, lobby mezzanine, and administration area.

Why did the Hotel Beaumont receive the Best Restoration Reward?
1. The $7.6 million restoration of this historic property followed every design guideline listed in the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. In fact, this restoration received historic tax credits purchased by Fannie Mae. A project does not receive such credits without the highest preservation ethic.
2. The partnership of the public and private sectors to make this restoration happen is un-matched in this community.
3. The mission of the Hotel Beaumont is to make affordable housing available to senior citizens. Both independent and assisted living spaces are provided. 135 rooms are available with a 90% occupancy.
4. One of Beaumont's largest historic structures has been restored and is a lasting testament to perseverance and preservation...that preservation makes economic sense.
5. The Hotel Beaumont provides 40 jobs.
6. Not only were the residential areas restored, but the community rallied by raising $600,000 to complete the restoration of several public areas, including the Lobby, Mirror Room, administrative offices, dining room, the mezzanine and Peacock Alley. These areas are beautifully restored and furnished as they welcome the community and guests to downtown Beaumont! To top this off, the nation's foremost decorative painters, Conrad Schmitt Studios from Wisconsin painted the Lobby and Peacock Alley. Their work was based upon historic photographs and records of the Hotel. Some of our community partners in this phase of the restoration included the employees of ATOFINA, Regina Rogers, the Dishman Trust, Entergy, the Steinhagen Trust, the Beaumont Spindletop Commission and 3rd graders at Regina Howell Elementary School.
7. People are so proud of this restoration that gifts continue to come. Most recently, a limousine was given to the Hotel for comfortable transportation of its residents.
8. Did the restoration of the Hotel Beaumont encourage more preservation? Yes! The 1927 Jefferson theatre, next-door neighbor to the Hotel, began its campaign just as the Hotel began construction. It was as if anything became possible and now it made sense to proceed and involve the public and private sectors in another restoration. The $6.5 million restoration of the theatre is also a tax credit project. In fact, NDC was so successful at the Hotel that the Jefferson Theatre Preservation Society hired this group to assist in their use of historic tax credits. The theatre opened in 2003 to the sounds of Lou Rawls and the Vienna Choir Boys.

Project Narrative: Jefferson Theatre
Best Restoration
Beaumont, Texas

It all began on a napkin at the Olive Garden Restaurant. Leaders of Beaumont Main Street and the Jefferson Theatre Preservation Society (both non-profits) formed a partnership whose mission was to restore the Jefferson Theatre, a National Register property. Eight years of hard work and $6.5 million have produced another downtown treasure!

Built in 1927 for $1 million, the Jefferson Theatre hosted vaudeville acts and movies, including a premier production of "It's a Wonderful Life" with Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart in person!

By 1970s, things were looking grim. As downtown deteriorated, so did our theatre. After an assortment of owners left their mark on the theatre, the Jefferson Theatre Preservation Society was formed to assume ownership, but not before the MOST HIDEOUS paint destroyed the beautiful rich Mediterranean colors that originally adorned the theatre walls. For twenty years the society kept things going. A handful of dedicated volunteers trying to operate and maintain a 1,500 seat theatre was tough. Gloom, doom and despair set in. Worse a church rented the theatre and in a moment of fiery passion, destroyed all the original statuary.

The partnership formed at the Olive Garden became THE vehicle to not only save, but also make the Jefferson Theatre a showplace with exciting professional and local entertainment.

The process began in 1995 with a Business Plan. We interviewed several theatre consultants and chose one of the nation's best, John Lind of VenueTech Management Group in Lafayette, California. John was so good that he is still working with the theatre! After securing 3 grants, we spent the summer of 1996 in meetings and a final community symposium to determine if the restoration and the business of this theatre were possible. The Business Plan was written and questions were answered. Why save this theatre? Who will use it? How will it compete with other area theatre? What kind of staff is required to maintain and operate this theatre? This exercise wasn't easy. There were those in the community who thought it was unnecessary. We stuck to our roadmap.

Next came the Master Restoration Plan. We needed $25,000 and approached the City Manager. Because of our success with the Business Plan ad the community involvement, city council granted the funding. One year was spent defining the restoration based on the Business Plan! In other words, the theatre can't supply every need for everybody. A restoration cost was estimated. We then constructed the "framework" for Beaumont's largest campaign. Chairmen were selected, volunteers were secured, committees formed, etc. All the campaign issues were defined; what are the giving levels, how long is the pledge period, a campaign checking account? Naming opportunities and...what donors? What list? By the way, who is going to keep track of this? Main Street became campaign headquarters. And, what campaign materials? Where's the money? Chase Bank provided $25,000! These details took years but we were determined to stick to the roadmap and not get sidetracked into fashion shows and raffles.

Concurrently, we created a marketing plan to keep the public informed about our progress. The new Southwestern Bell phone book featured the theatre on the cover and postcards were sent to hundreds of potential donors and campaigners. Unique graphics were important.

The $6.5 million campaign kicked off in 1998 with $1 million of private sector funding secured. Campaigning took about 3 years. Construction began in 2001.

Construction was VERY difficult because of the many organizations involved. The historic agencies, the ADA folks, foundation requirements, the City and HUD...the challenge was a huge responsibility for 2 non-profit organizations. Concurrently, we decided to utilize historic tax credits. Because of the Jefferson's non-profit status, we sold the credits. Enter the National Development Council who led us to BankOne CDC in New Orleans. BankOne purchased the credits for 90 cents of the dollar. The paper work and legal requirements for this endeavor were time consuming. We organized and legalized a general partner. The flow chart for the tax credits is too burdensome to share. Suffice it to say, a year of work. But, the credits brought us over $1 million when the project was complete. WE DID IT!

The theatre was completely restored including new plumbing, electric, roof, hazardous abatement, bathrooms, administrative offices, sprinkler system, seats, new lighting, sound and rigging systems. Tuck pointing, new fire escapes; improvements to the marquee and façade showcases were completed. The Robert Morton Wonder Organ that still rises from the pit and is one of only 7 in the United States in its original location, received over $100,000 of specialized repair. It was difficult to find anyone who had the parts and know how to repair this magnificent treasure. He was found in Houston and he spent four months in Beaumont removing and cleaning the pipes, repairing the stops, the keyboards and much more. And...what to do about the artistic painting? We received phone calls from motorcycle artists, craft show enthusiasts, etc. But, we stuck to the game plan and hired Conrad Schmitt Studios from Wisconsin, the best! Three months, thousands of hours and $75,000 of rented scaffolding later, the walls of the Jefferson Theatre display their original paint scheme. The statues? They were created again and sit proudly in the lobby and mezzanine.

The community raised $6,5 million. Two million from the City of Beaumont through a 108 grant, $1.5 million from foundations, $1 million from tax credits and about $2 million from individuals. Two things were important; we never gave up and we followed our Business and Restoration Plans. This included hiring staff long before we opened!

After 8 years of effort, the Jefferson Theatre stands proudly as a testament to the perseverance of the community. Hundreds of volunteers, donors, and professionals including our architects, artisans and general contractor are to be congratulated!

On November 7, 2003, the marquee was bright as the Jefferson Theatre opened its doors once again. Lou Rawls joined the community in celebration of this unique, community lead restoration!