Brazoria County officials say Hurricane Beryl damaged the 76-foot Stephen F. Austin statue near Angleton so extensively that it must be rebuilt rather than patched. The county is weighing materials and costs, while officials continue to work out how to pay for the project.
Storm Exposed Years of Hidden Rot
The statue, built in 2006, has an unpainted steel framework covered in sculpted concrete. Moisture seeped through cracks, rusting and weakening the steel over time, and Beryl’s winds tore away vulnerable concrete, exposing more of the framework, according to Chron. Brazoria County Parks Director Bryan Frazier said the statue received little preventative maintenance before the county took over the property in 2016. Assessments after the storm found extensive deterioration, and Frazier said a full rebuild is needed. A report from thefacts.com also described the work as a full rebuild.
As of Tuesday, the statue still showed visible Hurricane Beryl damage at the Stephen F. Austin-Munson Historical County Park in Angleton, per the same report from thefacts.com. The landmark remains standing while officials hope it can ultimately be salvaged for the community, rather than removed altogether.
Three Options, One Price Tag Climbing Toward $5 Million
County officials are weighing three approaches, according to Chron: rebuilding in concrete using the original process, replacing the statue with fiberglass, or using bronze or molded marble. The latter option is estimated to cost between $3 million and $5 million. A separate headline from thefacts.com put the possible cost of the statue’s second life at $5 million. Citizen Portal, meanwhile, reported that repairs would likely cost roughly $2 million; available reporting does not make clear whether that estimate covers the same scope of work.
Chron reported that Frazier said officials want to use available funds efficiently while choosing a tribute that represents Brazoria County and honors Stephen F. Austin. The county is at least $500,000 short of even the lowest rebuilding estimate, according to Chron.
Funding Pieced Together From State and County Sources
Funding described in reports comes from state and county sources. State Representative Cody Vasut obtained $750,000 for the statue’s restoration during the 2025 legislative session, and Brazoria County commissioners allocated another $750,000 in the fiscal year 2026 budget, for a combined $1.5 million intended to support the work, according to Chron. Citizen Portal reported a state proposal for an additional $750,000 that would bring combined funding to $1.5 million. The accounts do not make clear how that proposed amount relates to the $1.5 million already reported by Chron. A Brazoria County budget notice lists restoration of the Stephen F. Austin statue along Highway 288 among capital expenditures tied to Hurricane Beryl damage, but does not specify an amount for the statue, according to Brazoria County.
County authorities have contacted their state senator and local state representatives seeking additional funding ahead of the 2027 legislative session, and lawmakers have indicated interest in considering further financing, Chron reports. Brazoria County may not learn how much additional money is available until later in that 2027 session.
Recovery Spending and Other Monument Restorations
A county financial report showed nearly $13 million in disaster-related expenses, a countywide figure rather than a statue-specific allocation, according to the Houston Chronicle. That total does not itself establish the amount of state or federal assistance available for county-owned assets. A separate Galveston landmark, the Texas Heroes Monument, underwent a major restoration in 1990 and 1991 after deterioration led officials to fear strong winds could knock its 22-foot Victory statue off its base, The Daily News reported. That restoration predates Hurricane Beryl and involved a different monument.
A Local Landmark's Long History
The statue has stood near the Country Road 29 exit off Texas 288 since its completion, with a 2005 photo caption describing it as ultimately 62 feet tall and about 70,000 pounds and scheduled to be finished by the end of August 2005, per Chron's account of the original coverage. Whatever final height and weight the finished monument reached, it has since become a recognizable marker for drivers passing through Angleton. For now, the statue stays put along the highway, a weathered landmark awaiting word on which of three rebuilding paths the county will ultimately choose.
