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Lamar State College Port Arthur will celebrate the grand opening of the Ruby Fuller Building with a ribbon cutting today (Sept. 15) from 3 to 5 p.m.

The event follows several years of planning and construction that led to new life for a building more than 100 years old.

The 86th Texas legislative session through SB 500 provided special appropriations of $6.32 million to LSCPA for property damage related to Hurricane Harvey.

The funding provided for a modern interior space with major repairs to the exterior of the building. An original classroom addition was removed, allowing for a grand secondary entrance to the building.

The building now serves as home to the College’s Title V Grant program which focuses on encouraging and supporting the Hispanic student population.

Title V coaches and tutors are located in the facility as well as the Enrollment Services staff.

The renovation maintained some of the core features of the original church, such as its stained glass windows, while modernizing the interior to better serve students and staff into the future.

The Fuller Building is a historic structure that was Port Arthur’s first-ever First United Methodist Church, which celebrated its 100th year of existence in 2015.

The building’s namesake, Ruby Fuller, taught Sunday school for 42 of the 55 years that she was a member of FUMC.

The College came into possession of the building in 1976 and utilized the space for classrooms and faculty and staff offices until 2017 when Harvey’s impact made the building unusable.