A church called Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church was once located in Port Arthur, Texas. This news article will discuss some of the history behind Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church in Port Arthur, Texas in hindsight. 
Now Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church was formerly the ILA Hall which was built in 1921 as a single story brick building. ILA Hall located in the heart of a black community. The ILA Hall was known as a negro hall. ILA Hall operated for several years. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1126208/)
Willard G. Fowler owned a portion of the ILA Hall property for many decades and operated Ritz Hotel there too. This hotel surrounded a portion of what was once ILA Hall and Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1126208/)
Curley Adams. Jr. became owner of Ritz Hotel in 1967. This brought forth a few changes some of the buildings around the hotel property were demolished. The maroon colored brick building remained in place while other buildings were demolished such as the manager’s house and a storage building. 
Sweet D’s Pool Hall was set up inside the former church in 1991. A man named “L.A.” operated Sweet D’s Pool Hall with Curley Adams, Jr. for a number of years. The pool hall is where drugs were often distributed and sold to users.
A combination of efforts between local and federal law enforcement agencies resulted in the arrest of a man named “L.A.” who was suspected of distributing drugs from Sweet “D’s” Pool Hall on Port Arthur’s west side in late December 1994. “L.A.” was believed to be a major source in the Houston/Port Arthur trafficking organization which regularly brings in large amounts of narcotics. 8 other people were involved at the time. The other man was arrested in Port Arthur.
The investigation into the hall’s owner and his distributors was ongoing for about 10 months. Officers with the Jefferson County Narcotics Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigations simultaneously executed three federal search and arrest warrants in Port Arthur. Both men were charged with felony conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. (Ref: https://portarthurnews.newspaperarchive.com/port-arthur-news/1994-12-23/page-3/)
According to the Port Arthur News newspaper, the ILA Hall was condemned after the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas entered an Order of Forfeiture condemning and forfeiting the property in 1995. Exactly the property was forfeited is unknown. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/port-arthur-news-nov-19-1995-p-30/)
[IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS BEAUMONT DIVISION UNITED STATES OF AMERICA vs. CURLEY ADAMS, JR. { NO. 1:95-CR-2(1) NOTICE OF FORFEITURE }
Notice is hereby given that on September 18. 1995 in the case of United States of America c. Curley Adams. Jr., Criminal No. 195-CR-2(1), the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas entered an Order of Forfeiture condemning and forfeiting the following property located at 723 Texas Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas, to the United States of America: The property is all that lot or parcel of land. together with Its buildings, improvements, fixtures, attachments and easements located at 723 Texas Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas, said property belonging to Curley Adams, Jr., more particularly described as follows A tract of land out of the B B B & C R R Co. Survey, Pat #346, in Jefferson County, Texas deserted as follows BEGINNING at a point 1590 feet South 40 deg West, and 150 feet South 50 deg East from tire West corner of Lot Number Seven (7), In Block Number Seventy-five (75), of the City of Port Arthur, Texas, at the corner of Eighth Street and Houston Avenue, as per the recorded plat of said City, THENCE first course. South 40 deg West, 50 feet, THENCE second course. South 50 deg East. 100 feet to the North line of the Texarkana & Fort Smith right-of-way; THENCE third course]
A business called Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church was incorporated on the date of 1/9/1997. Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church purchased the property from Curley Adams. Jr. in 1997. The church began operations shortly after. (Ref: https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_tx/0142910201)
Over the course of 2 decades, several businesses have used this property on a lease from the city. This included social clubs, civil unions, nonprofits, and Port Arthur Police Department.
From 1999 to 2001, Mentors Outlining Definitives for Earthly Living (M.O.D.E.L.) used this location on a lease from the city. They were a non-profit organization built on fostering community development activities within the West Side neighborhoods of Port Arthur. Their organization was dedicated to improving the quality of life of people on the West Side.
Mentors Outlining Definitives for Earthly Livings shared offices with Port Arthur Police Department for a year or two. This location was also their new home. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/port-arthur-news-jul-28-1999-p-1/)
City of Port Arthur and Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church turned the former ILA into a community center in 2001. By 2001 Mentors Outlining Definitives for Earthly Livings was still sharing offices with Port Arthur Police Department. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/port-arthur-news-oct-04-2001-p-7/)
Port Arthur Police Department relocated their offices to another location in 2002 and Mentors Outlining Definitives for Earthly Livings moved back into First Baptist Church in 2003. This property reverted back to the City of Port Arthur afterwards. 
According to records from Enriched Real Estate, a person named Casey Sitter is currently the owner of this church. This person has this property designed specifically as a lodge (Property type: Lodge). The City of Port Arthur purchased the property from Casey Sitter in 2006. The City of Port Arthur became the owner of the former church. (Ref: https://www.enrichedrealestate.com/723-Freeman-Ave-Port-Arthur-TX-77640/Service/Lodge/)
Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church relocated to a different location in Port Arthur sometime during the year of 2007.
Enriched Real Estate has the owner name listed as CITY OF PORT ARTHUR; DBA SWEET DS POOL HALL. In 2015, Sweet D’s Pool Hall was set up inside the former church again. The City of Port Arthur owned the property while Sweet D’s Pool Hall leased from them hence their name being listed under the owner name. (Ref: https://www.enrichedrealestate.com/723-Freeman-Ave-Port-Arthur-TX-77640/Service/Lodge/Id=6909347)
Today the City of Port Arthur currently owns this church. A few windows have been boarded up since 2016. Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church is also home to Master Billy Kelley’s School of Martial Arts and Black Tigers Karate.
In 2018, Golden Triangle Church on the Rock purchased the former ILA Hall from the City of Port Arthur. Today Golden Triangle Church on the Rock currently owns this church. A few windows have been boarded up since 2016. Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church is also home to Master Billy Kelley’s School of Martial Arts and Black Tigers Karate. (Ref: https://propaccess.trueautomation.com/clientdb/Property.aspx?cid=91&prop_id=95655&year=2019)
The former address for Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church was 723 Texas Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas, US 77642. The current address of Holiness Pentecostal Sanctified Church is 723 Freeman Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas, US 77642.
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