FLINT, Michigan

— Across Dort Highway from the barren, concrete field that used to be Flint’s AC Spark Plug plant, a mural painted on the south side of a small furniture shop a decade ago went undisturbed for nearly a decade before coming under attack this year.

Mustaches started popping up on the men, women and babies depicted in the mural a few months ago — the paint work of vandals who desecrated the artwork in the dark of night.

The owners of the business, Flint Stool and Chair, which has survived for more than 20 years despite being surrounded by vacant lots and buildings, had the mural restored after the first instance.

But it happened again this month.

They contemplated painting over the mural to save the cost of restoring it again, but were convinced to save it once again.

“We had too many people say ‘That’s a nice staple for the east side,’” said co-owner Tom Walter.

The mural depicts east-side residents and community figures alongside the Longway Planetarium, the Kearsley Park Pavilion and St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Co-owner Daren Walter said the mural is a symbol of the business’s survival and efforts to revive the community.

“We want to stay here for as long as we can,” he said.

“Our idea is to try to keep the city clean and keep it going, but it’s stuff like this that brings it down.”

They had the mural restored again and mounted a surveillance camera, hoping it will discourage the vandals.

Among those in the mural given mustaches by the vandals were the late Rev. Henry W. Berkemeier of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and Don Lada, head of the Eastside Business Association.

“The kids that done that, if they needed anything, those people would have helped them,” said Tom Walter.