Greg Austin has been trying to pitch one of his late father’s properties to a buyer but the possible sale has been made difficult due to graffiti vandals having defaced a portion of the historic building. Austin, who is the executor of his father Jim’s estate, said he would be showing the old downtown building, that used to be known as Westminster Church back in the day, to a potential buyer earlier this month.

Currently, graffiti stains can be seen on the backside of the pediment above the third floor of the church’s former activities area, which encloses 20,000 square feet and used to house an auditorium as well classrooms in the past. Austin’s father had thought that in the right hands and with an investment of approximately $3 million, the property could be converted into a condominium but this was five years ago.

Austin said that he would like to block access to the building’s roof through the two metal stairways that connect to the first floor and ladders that connect to the third floor. He has now hired a maintenance crew to spray-paint of the existing graffiti but apparently the vandals in question keep coming back to paint new images.

“We talk about the ladders being raised to make it more difficult to get up there,” he said.

Austin’s father passed away a year and a half ago at the age of 86. During his hay days, he sold properties and vehicles to buy himself plush accommodations and luxury cars. The former First Baptist Church, which is also located in downtown Beaumont, was one of his final acquisitions. His son hopes to sell that property as well.

In a 2010 interview, Jim Austin had explained his fondness for the old Westminster Church. By that time, its congregation had become too small to support the building and members had recently voted to dissolve the congregation and carry out charity work with the proceeds. During the interview, Jim was seated on the pews as sunlight streamed in through the church’s stained-glass windows. According to him, the renowned stained-glass maker, Louis Comfort Tiffany, had overseen the Westminster Project.

“It's my understanding he came down here himself to do the job,” Austin said. “The glass is what one would expect in a church. Most of the images are pastoral, showing scenes from the life of Jesus, such as calming the Sea of Galilee or ministering to the sick. When the sun shines through the glass at just the right time of day, features like halos light up.

Each window is covered on the outside by a hard plastic protective sheath that doesn't dull the sunlight coming through.”

According to Austin, insurance estimates suggest that the stained glass has a valuation of $5,000 per square foot as a stand-alone feature apart from the rest of the church building. The property, which was not on tax roll until the congregation sold it off in 2009, is valued at an estimated $405,000 today.

Even though Jim had harboured the idea of having the property converted into a condominium, he had also said that he would ideally sell it to a new congregation, perhaps an African-American church. Austin too is eager to sell it to a new congregation.

“That was his goal,” he said.

Photo Credits: Beaumont Enterprises