Luther Hotel

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Luther Hotel
Luther Hotel Palacios Texas.jpg
Luther Hotel
Former names
  • The Bay View Hotel
  • The Hotel Palacios
General information
Location Palacios, Texas, United States
Completed1903

The Luther Hotel is a hotel in Palacios, Texas. It was built in 1903. [1]

History

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. A preservation group based in Palacios gathered 2,000 signatures from across the state and country in favor of preserving the building. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sault, Spring (May 26, 2017). "You Can't Make This Stuff Up: The 3-Part History of the Luther Hotel". Texas Hill Country. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 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.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Diaz, Tamara (January 27, 2023). "Historic Luther Hotel faces wrecking ball, but Palacios group fights to save building". The Victoria Advocate. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Rice, Laura (December 13, 2022). "This historic Gulf Coast hotel could be just days from demolition". Texas Standard. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
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