The Luther Hotel is a hotel in Palacios, Texas. It was built in 1903.[1]
| Luther Hotel | |
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| Former names |
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| General information | |
| Location | Palacios, Texas, United States |
| Completed | 1903 |
History edit
The hotel, originally named the Bay View Hotel, was built in 1903 by the Texas Rice Development Company to cater to rice farmers and ranchers.[1][2]
In 1904, the hotel was moved "around the corner" to its present location.[3] In the move, the original chimneys and porch were removed, and the east and west wings were added to the original central structure.[1] A new 300-ft porch was also added to the building, dubbed the "longest front porch in Texas".[1] The hotel was renamed the Hotel Palacios.[2]
During World War I, the hotel hosted Red Cross volunteers several times a week, who would use the time and space to sew garments for American soldiers.[3]
In 1936, a new owner, Charles Luther, bought the hotel and enclosed the porch to add more rooms.[2]
The hotel was busiest during World War II.[3] Notable visitors to the hotel during that time included Rita Hayworth and Shirley Temple.[3] These celebrities, as well as visiting bands, would entertain troops at the nearby Camp Hulen.[2][3] In 1944, the building's top two floors were damaged by a fire.[1]
In 1961, the building was again damaged, this time by Hurricane Carla.[1] The hotel was designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1965.[4]
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 10, 2010.[4]
In the early 2020s, the hotel's owner died without a will, placing the hotel's status into limbo. His estate sold the hotel and the land it is on to the Ed Rachal Foundation, a local charitable group that plans to demolish the hotel and build a new structure on the land.[3] The hotel is currently facing a lawsuit to determine whether or not it will be demolished, with the plaintiffs claiming the estate's executor was unaware of plans to demolish the hotel.[5][6][7] A preservation group based in Palacios gathered 2,000 signatures from across the state and country in favor of preserving the building.[3]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f Sault, Spring (2017-05-26). "You Can't Make This Stuff Up: The 3-Part History of the Luther Hotel". Texas Hill Country. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ a b c d Brand, Heather (May 31, 2019). "My Hometown: Luther Hotel Innkeeper Jack Findley Talks History and Having Fun on Tres Palacios Bay". Texas Highways. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Diaz, Tamara (2023-01-27). "Historic Luther Hotel faces wrecking ball, but Palacios group fights to save building". The Victoria Advocate. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ a b Rice, Laura (2022-12-13). "This historic Gulf Coast hotel could be just days from demolition". Texas Standard. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Huddleston, Scott (February 28, 2023). "Historic Luther hotel might be demolished, replaced with modern resort". San Antonio Express-News.
- ^ Smith, Sarah (May 11, 2023). "Luther Hotel: In Palacios, a century-old Texas hotel awaits its fate". Houston Chronice.
- ^ Brooking, Ashley (2023-05-23). "Luther Hotel Executor was unaware of demolition attempts". The Bay City Tribune. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
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