Port Arthur, Texas is a gritty, oil refinery town best known as the place where Janis Joplin grew up. The Procter Street downtown business area has sadly faded away along with Janis’ powerful voice. I hadn’t visited downtown in years, so I went there on February 11th with my Nikon N-90 film camera and three rolls of film.
These scenes convey the despair of downtown Port Arthur – which once thrived with department stores, office buildings, hotels, restaurants and night clubs. The area comes to life once a year for Mardi Gras weekend and then returns to its vacant ambiance. In the early 1990s, elaborate murals of historic scenes were painted on building walls, but these too are disappearing due to the relentless sun and rains of southeast Texas.
But some hope of economic redevelopment is stirring. The World Trade Building on Austin Avenue, an impressive structure built in 1928 with fine architectural details, is slated for conversion to a 170 unit apartment complex. And the Hotel Batiste is being considered for an adaptive reuse such as a school. The refineries in town have announced several billion dollars of expansions which will create jobs and give the local economy a boost. The gasoline you use in New York is most likely refined here.
– Robert Baptista (www.colorantshistory.org)
Civil War Wall Mural – Racial Harmony – Pt. Arthur, TX
Civil War Mural – Robert E. Lee – Pt. Arthur TX
Port Arthur City Limits – Kress Building – Proctor Street
Coca-Cola, Proctor Street
Derelict Hotel Batiste
Golden Light Social Club – Houston Avenue
Derelict Golden Steer Restaurant – Houston Avenue
Derelict Hotel Sabine – Proctor Street
Jet Taxi – Houston Avenue
Loans – Proctor Street
Meat & Bait – Ripped Apart by Hurricane Rita
Reckless Driving Billboard – Proctor Street
Texaco Station – Proctor Street
Verna’s Club – Proctor Street
World Trade Building c. 1928 – Austin Avenue
© Robert Baptista
Do you have any older photos of Port Arthur pre hurricane damages please? Once a year there is also the Janis Joplin Birthday Bash. You forgot to mention that. There is a new website going up for the Graduate Museum otherwise known as the School Museum. I could use a photo of the old Walgreen’s Building.
Thanks for sharing these. Where did you get your information about the school and the apartment building? Motiva Refinery is already in progress. That will bring new jobs to the area. Mother nature has really played havoc with downtown Port Arthur. Since Hurricane Ike I can’t go downtown until the stench (odor) is gone. Ike brought in a lot of mold. The marina was destroyed. I took photos of that.
Thanks for posting these photos!! PA is in a sad situation. It is the victim of white flight by people who would rather cut and run than embrace the city’s diversity and keep it thriving. It is so easy talking to former residents to see that there was no reason for them to flee; it seems to be one of those “we don’t want to live next to THOSE people” things.
Anyway, I hope that the movement to revitalize downtown PA will gain some traction. Sadly, it is going to take a lot of outside money to do so since so many Southeast Texans have such hate-filled preconceived notions about the city.
Truly sad.
Blaming white flight for the demise of Port Arthur is stupid. The problem is forced diversity. Obviously THOSE people are not welcomed so what is one to do? White Flight, of course and today THOSE people have Port Arthur all to themselves. Happy now?
That is what truly sad is and it has nothing to do with hate. It has to do with people’s freedom of choice which is to NOT live with THOSE people.
Im white and I have lived in port arthur all of my life.The majority of port arthur is now colored people but whats wrong with that? I think thats a great thing that it is so diverse.You are just a hateful person period.What would be so bad about living around colored people,they are the same as you and I.I think Port Arthur is a beautiful place with greater potential than any of the surrounding citys but its because of racist people like you that nothing gets done down here.
Oh and i totally agree with Mack.
Great photos of P.A.
They’re sad and beautiful all at once. They really seem to capture the decline of Port Arthur. You can clearly see what once was.
Reality is the new Port Arthur is being built up along 365 and is encroaching on Nederland and Port Neches. It’s like Port Arthur now has the problem of “black flight” to deal with.
I was born and raised most of my life in Port Arthur,Tx. I did not have much but it was my home town and to this day I still have much love for old proctor street. I ran up and down proctor street back in the early 1970’s til 1986. Everyone knew everyone back then by first name. I remember running in and out of the old bars, the union cafe (owner’s Mayie and Jim) Scatterbrain (Black Police officer) The palace(Vincent Muzzira), The Keyhole, (little Johnny)from the longhorn cab stand, The Sabine Hotel, The lions Den, The 333, Perry’s Lounge, The 5th street lounge (Lou), The 1201 club (Charlito and Jean Hernandez) I even rented from Verna and Bill (Verna’s Cafe) back in those days. There wasn’t another place in the world better than Port arthur, Texas. I miss all the people that ran up and down proctor street from that period of time. Port Arthur was Cheer’s before Cheer’s was a T.V. show…everyone knew our names. I am just an old artist now living in Fl. where no one know my name.
Hey Hernandez- What a great narrative. A time capsule of an era come and gone. Where abouts in FLA are you? What kind of art do you make? All the best to you. Frank
How you doing Frank? I am now living in Saint Petersburg, Fl. (home of the Rays) and next to the beach. I am oil painter. I just finish a protrait of John Lennnon crying , he is over looking Manhatten with the burning twins (911), with the American flag waving in the back drop of the sky. He always wanted to be know an American, plus he loved New York.
Hernandez- Could you send me a photo of the mural? I would love to post it!
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I lived and worked in Port Arthur from 1958 – 1966. I could fill your website (or bore you to tears) with stories.
Hernandez – Hello!
I lived in Port Arthur from 1958 – 1966. Do you know the last name of Verna and Bill? I had a close friend there named Verna. She did own a business at that time but it was a beauty salon. I worked for a while at St. Mary’s hospital and later was in charge of the emergency room at Park Place Hospital for several years. The pictures on this site are sad and interesting – certainly not what I remember.
I love seeing these old pics. My mother wasa raised in Port Arthur, Tx and she will be 60 on the 6th. I was trying to gather pics of way back when and so far I have had no luck. If anyone knows of any pics that I can get my hands on that would be wonderful or better yet, A picture of The Golden Cask on Gulfway drive would be amazing. Thank you, Carrie
Ahh Port arthur, A Shit hole since its birth, a shit hole for the rest of its god damned life.
I was born at Park Place Hospital. My family lived in Groves and . My father worked at Texaco and my mother worked at Sabine Bank. We moved away in 1970. So sad to see that it has deteriorated so.
I’m black and was born and raised in Port Arthur. I left in 1983. I feel Port Arthur’s problems are deeply rooted in arrogance of past city administrations. I remember the US Navy wanted to build some type of ship repair facility in PA and the council turned it down. I remember the airlines wanted to build a repair facility in PA and the council turned it down. Nobody can say whether or not those facilities would be operational today BUT they would have give Port Arthur so measure of diversification. So a good portion of PA’s woes are attributable to the mayor and city administration from the 60’s and 70’s.
I WAS BORNED AND RAISED IN PORT ARTHUR. MY FAMILY MOVED IN 1959 TO BAYTOWN, BUT MY LOVE OF THIS CITY IS ALIVE TODAY. PEOPLE, PEOPLE! WE SURVIVE AS A VILLAGE. DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR SKIN AS THE PROBLEM LOOK AT YOUR HEART, THIS CITY IS A PART OF YOUR SOUL..IF YOU HAVE A STEADY JOB AND MAKING A LIVING THINK OF YOUR NEIGHBOR, WHAT DOES HE NEED. LETS SET AN EXAMPLE FOR Y0UR CHILDREN. DESPARE IS NOT THE NORM, YOUR FUTURE IS WITH YOUR CHILDREN”S FUTURE. LETS GIVE THEM THE SIMPLE THINGS.PLEASURE ISLAND FOR CRABING NOT TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE, BUT TO LEARN WHAT THE CRABS THINKS WHEN HE TAKES THE BAIT. TELL YOUR CHILD THAT THE CRAB IS PULLING THE STRING TAUNT BECAUSE HE WANTS IT, HE WILL NOT GIVE UP. GOOD THINGS DO NOT COME EASY. THE MINORITY NEED TO STEP UP TO REESTABLISH THE DOWNTOWN TO THEIR NEEDS. THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE CAN CREATE AT LEAST A FARMERS MARKET ON THE STREET WITH TABLES FOR FREE WITH CITY SUPPORT, SO PEOPLE WHO GROW THINGS AND THEN SELL THEM TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE FRIENDS AND EVERYONE WINS.. I ASK THE LADIES OF THE CHURCHES PULL THIS CITY TOGETHER. MINSTERS GET ENVOLVED WITH YOUR CHURCH FAMILIES, TALK TO ONE ANOTHER. WE ALL LOVE THIS CITY. STAND UP PLEASE
Wow, really brings back memories ! Grew up in Port Arthur. Graduated in 1956. Sad how things never remain the same! Will cherish those fond memories forever !
As a soldier who has travel the world – I thought that the Leadership of Port Arthur would’ve inspired companies/corporations to PA with tax incentives. Largest Oil Refinery in North America -Upon further research I found out that the Leadership hasn’t been good at all…..