BEAUMONT, Texas — Community members came together to celebrate the grand re-opening of the Tyrrell Historical Library Wednesday evening.
The building dates back to 1903 and was originally Beaumont's First Baptist Church.
In attendance was Jim Baxter, who has a special connection to the library."I used to come here as a kid, and was just so in awe of the architecture and everything.", said Baxter.
The library was damaged by both Tropical Storm Harvey and Imelda.
He says the library will soon be home to a collection of his father's articles, photographs, and movie props. His father, Gordon Baxter, was a legendary Southeast Texas broadcaster, once a war correspondent, who wrote for flying magazine for more than forty years.
"His legacy definitely lives on and thanks to Tyrrell Historical Library for allowing that to happen. We're very proud of that", said Baxter.
Alan Coleman was another community member that attended the ceremony. In 1987 he led a group of high school students to help restore the library. He says it was his first and favorite community service project.
The library is a destination for people wanting to research genealogy and Texas history. It's now open Monday-Friday from 9 A.M. - 6 P.M.
