Walking around downtown Beaumont on a Sunday morning in September feels like a story where everyone has disappeared and left a quiet city behind. No foot or vehicle traffic made for an eerie but peaceful stroll. I later found where people spend their weekends after driving around town.
There seemed to be a close mix of building in and no longer in use. Examples of those standing the test of time are the San Jacinto Building, built in 1921 which stands out with its unique architecture, and the Edson Hotel, built in 1929 which is now a 22-story office building. The Gilbert Building, built in 1903, and the First National Bank of Beaumont, built in 1889 will hopefully be restored someday. The Levy Building/Rosemont Hotel, built in 1893 is another great looking building but would likely require a lot of effort to see back in use.
Beaumont is a beautiful city with a lot of history of perseverance. Of the many hurricanes to lay waste to neighborhoods, recent years saw repeat damage with Rita in 2005, Ike in 2008, and Harvey in 2017. However, residents continue to rebuild and move on because this is their home. There is a genuine pride in the city which has steadily increased in population since 1835 to around 115,000 today.
I hope to have a chance to visit Beaumont again some day.
