Strong winds during Beryl winds blew off chunks of the statue’s concrete coating.
ANGLETON, Texas — The Stephen F. Austin statue along Highway 288 is a monument to a man of slight build yet immense impact.
Called the “father of Texas” by his friend, Sam Houston, Austin traveled to Texas with early settlers in 1821.
The 76-foot-tall statue at a park inAngleton was created by renowned Houston sculptor David Adickes, who died Sunday, July 13, at age 99.
“It is truly iconic,” said Stephen F. Austin-Munson Historical County Park manager James Glover. “People see it, are drawn to it, they want to know what it is, want to know who it is.”
And while you may not notice the damage driving past it, closer inspection reveals battle scars primarily from Hurricane Beryl.
“And I’ve had people say, ‘Wow, I saw it from the highway and then I came here. Holy cow!;” Glover said. “Yeah, it looks bad up close.”
That’s why $750,000 in state funding is already secured to help restore or rebuild the statue.
According to Brazoria County Parks Director Bryan Frazier, the steel and concrete structure was put up in segments and will be disassembled the same way.
The timeline and budget for the entire project remain fluid.
“We had structural engineer reports and analysis done and, right now, we’re working to get some actual hard-dollar cost estimates,” Frazier said. “But we know it’s probably going to eclipse that $750,000 mark, we’re just not sure by how much.”
Frazier explained it will be a meticulous process to help ensure the statue withstands Mother Nature for years to come..
“I would be a lot happier to see it fixed, and I would see an end to the daily questions of, ‘What are you going to do about this?'” Glover said.
Adickes also created the iconic Sam Houston statue along I-45 in Huntsville.