Navasota's oldest monument set for repairs after truck collision damaged historic LaSalle statue
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Navasota's oldest monument is headed for repairs after a truck struck the historic LaSalle statue in December, damaging the granite base that supports it.
The LaSalle Monument, named for French explorer René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle, who was killed by his men during a mutiny near the area, has stood along Washington Avenue for 90 years. Donated in 1930 and placed along Washington Avenue in 1936, the statue now faces a repair project costing more than $58,000.
Jay Chappell, city maintenance services director, said the demand for updates on the project has been constant since the damage occurred.
"Pretty much a weekly update is asked on when the monument's going to get fixed, either from the mayor or from concerned citizens or from the city manager, Robert," Chappell said.
Chappell said the statue itself survived the collision in good condition, but the base did not.
"The statue itself was still in good shape, but it's the four pieces of granite that hold it up that was damaged," Chappell said.
As part of the repair process, the statue will be temporarily removed. Workers will address the damaged granite before reinforcing the structure.
"They're going to repair the granite pieces that were damaged. Then they're going to drill and put 2-inch stainless steel rods into each piece of granite," Chappell said.
Records show the statue is the oldest monument in Navasota.
Local residents say the repairs matter beyond just the structure itself.
"Restoring it, bringing it back to its original glory, fixing the damages that were done, you know, accident inadvertently. It's important. It makes a difference in tourism. It makes a difference with our community here. It makes a difference with our nonprofits, our kids that do field trips that go see the La Salle statue, and just overall the story that we tell here in Navasota," Lucy Ybarra said.
Crystal Pennington, another local resident, said the statue has been a fixture of the community for as long as she can remember.
"I've seen it since I've moved up here almost 25 years ago. I hope it never leaves, and I enjoy seeing these statues because it does explain the history of Navasota and how it has become and how it got started," Pennington said.
The statue also carries a piece of local lore. In the 1980s, a high school rivalry led to an alleged group of students from Brenham coming to town and painting the statue Brenham green, reportedly in retaliation for a prank pulled by Navasota students.
Ybarra recalled the story with a laugh.
"I did hear there were some retributions for what we did, but, you know, that Rattler pride goes real deep," Ybarra said.
The city expects repairs to begin next week. No hard timeline has been set for completion.
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