Passion project: Local man on mission to save historic First Baptist Church

American Press

15-06-2025

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Ripped-up carpets and floorboards can be seen inside the sanctuary of the former First Baptist Church of Lake Charles building. (Crystal Stevenson / American Press)
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David Shamieh believes the sanctuary's organ is the second-largest one ever built in the United States. On either side of the church's altar are where the pipes are located behind wood paneling. (Crystal Stevenson / American Press)
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The church pipe organ still works, said David Shamieh. 'The humidity in the building, though, is not good for the pipes.' (Crystal Stevenson / American Press)
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A stained glass skylight that hangs over the center of the sanctuary is mostly intact, though some of the smaller pieces have cracks. (Crystal Stevenson / American Press)
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Inside the sanctuary, plaster finish is damaged and flaking off the walls, stained glass-wrapped columns have been broken. (Crystal Stevenson / American Press)
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Wooden pews are splitting because of the humidity and moisture making its way in through the still-plywood-covered windows. (Crystal Stevenson / American Press)
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The church's cornerstone remains visible to visitors. The church was organized on Jan. 25, 1880, and the cornerstone for their building was dedicated Feb. 12, 1908, according to American Press archives. (Crystal Stevenson / American Press)
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David Shamieh said construction workers found this painting — signed 'Pray with faith' Kent 1971 — in a room that had been previously used as a storage closet. He said shelving lined with paint cans blocked the mural from view. (Crystal Stevenson / American Press)
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Marble flooring tiles now line what was the life center. (Crystal Stevenson / American Press)
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Marble flooring tiles now line what was the life center. (Crystal Stevenson / American Press)
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The former life center and gymnasium have been converted into a rental event center called The Royal. Identical wooden flooring that matched what was the basketball court was brought in to repair damaged slats and the floor was sanded and restained. (Crystal Stevenson / American Press)
It's been 1,752 days since Hurricane Laura struck the former First Baptist Church in the historic district of downtown Lake Charles.
The storm caused millions of dollars in damage to the church's sanctuary, stained glass entryway and skylight, air conditioning system, roof, educational building, life center and fellowship hall.
But what, for many, would be a project too overwhelming to take on, David Shamieh has been undeterred.
In negotiations to purchase the already vacant 100,000 square-foot structure before the hurricane hit, Shamieh stuck with his original goal of bringing new life to what he considers 'holy and sacred' ground.
'I love old buildings and I cannot see something like this torn down,' he said. 'I have the philosophy in life if you don't have a history, you don't have a present, you're not going to have a future. This building — doesn't matter how much money you have — you would never be able to build this same building again. The structure is amazing.'
The church has 'good bones,' he said.
There is no insurance on the building — as no insurance company has been willing to provide coverage for the property after a tornado hit the area in 2024. All of the repairs since have been paid out of pocket by Shamieh. The owner of One Source Digital Technologies, Shamieh has devoted much of his free time to restoring and maintaining the building, pouring his heart into every detail of its structure.
'If I can, I want to bring it back to the original design, identical,' Shamieh said. 'I could pay $50,000 and put in a big glass out front with a little bit of design where the stained glass was but that's not what I want. This church is too important to thousands of people in Lake Charles.'
Shamieh said his goal is to restore the church and then pass it on to another church body who will make their own memories inside it. Two churches are interested, he said, but only if the construction is complete.
'I want to do something good for this community,' he said.
He also wants to see the church listed on the National Historic Registry, but is asking for the public's help in finding the church's original blueprints.
'We're struggling to find any of the records and exact measurements,' he said. While progress to the sanctuary is on hold as that information is being gathered, work is complete on what was the church's life center and gymnasium. Those areas are detached from the sanctuary building.
Now both spaces serve as part of The Royal event center, which has already hosted several weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, graduation celebrations and even an Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy.
'We wanted to give the community something really, really, really nice,' he said.
What was the nursery is now the bridal suite and the former art room is the groom's suite.
He's also planning a cigar area and cocktail lounge and is nearing the finish line in the remodel of the church's educational building and adjacent counseling center. One section of the educational building is being used by the Calcasieu Council on Aging.
Some of the former Sunday school classrooms have been converted into conference rooms available for rent.
Love for
Lake Charles
A native of Palestine, Shamieh moved to the United States to attend McNeese State University nearly 18 years ago.
Shamieh said he fell in love with Lake Charles as a student and never left.
'I fell in love with 'Southern Hospitality ,' ' he said. 'This city has given me so much and that's why I want to save this church.'
Shamieh said the church had been listed for sale for two years before Hurricane Laura struck. Portions of it were already in disrepair.
Hurricane Laura caused more. The storm's winds — recorded at 150 mph at landfall — tore apart the intricate stone and stained glass design over the doors at the Pujo Street main entrance. It also ripped off a piece of the iconic stone statue of an open Bible that had been in front of the stained glass.
'The attention to details in this building is magnificent,' he said. 'I've never seen anything like it. It's unbelievable.'
The stone design that was mixed with the stained glass outside carried over to the inside. The pattern can be found in the staircase rail to the church balcony, on the ends of each pew, and wrapped around the columns that provide muted light during services.
'We used the same pattern of the crown in The Royal sign,' he said.
Though plywood is in place where the stained glass was, humidity still finds its way inside and has caused some of the arm rails in the wooden pews to split.
Shamieh believes the sanctuary's organ is the second-largest one ever built in the United States. On either side of the church's altar are where the pipes are located.
'It needs to be tuned, but it still works,' Shamieh said. 'The humidity in the b uilding, though, is not good for the pipes.'
There's much to do in the sanctuary, but Shamieh has pushed the pause button.
'I don't want to work on the sanctuary until it is listed on the historic registry,' he said. 'It's important to make these restorations according to their standards. This is not just a building to me.'
And it's not the first historic building he's restored. In Palestine, he restored an 18th century three-story stone home. The first two floors are living space and the bottom floor was where animals were kept.
'It's a very significant place. In the Bible, when Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem they rested under the fig tree near spring water before going back to Nazareth. This is the place.'
Though he travels to see family in Palestine when he can, Shamieh said his home is Lake Charles.
'I'm lucky. I have two mothers — the born mother country and the adopted mother country,' he said. 'This is my home. My parents are here and that's a blessing.'