Palacios Preservation Association
Anyone want to tear down the Alamo for a new hotel?
RE: Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas
The State of Texas has 42 properties on the National Historic Landmarks register.
Properties like the Alamo, the Johnson Space Center, Dealey Plaza, and President Lyndon Johnson’s home.
No foundation in the world would attempt to tear them down to build a new hotel or shopping center.
Why?
Because these properties are part of American treasure.
People from all over the nation and world visit these sites for their history, for their pleasure, and because the properties teach us or remind us of long-gone features and incidents of our civilization.
So now comes properties like the Luther Hotel in Palacios.
Not the Alamo, but full of features, architecture, history which make it an important property to preserve for Texans and all
Americans to see.
- The hotel is 120 years old.
It was built to help develop a thriving agricultural economy and encourage skilled people to come to Texas and help us build what is now a booming Texas economy.
- The hotel’s construction and materials make it a rare facility in the U.S.
The structure of the hotel is yellow long leaf pine, while the siding is made from old growth cypress.
These high-grade materials haven’t been available for a very long time.
How many wooden, coastal buildings do you know of that have withstood six major hurricanes over a 120-year life that stand today?
People say the building is ready to fall down.
The Texas Historical Commission does not think so.
They have sent their architects to examine the building at least twice.
- Visitors from all over the world have been guests.
They marvel at the hotel’s imposing structure, its 1940-1960’s vintage rooms and furniture, and its signature front porch, with lots of rocking chairs and a refreshing Matagorda Bay breeze.
The Luther Hotel is part of our Texas DNA.
It is on the National Register of Historic Places, is a recorded Texas Historic Landmark and has been deemed by the Texas Historical Commission as a “Texas Treasure Business” hotel.
So the people who know historic properties believe the Hotel Luther is special.
Not one Texas or national governmental agency is for demolishing the hotel.
So, isn’t it time for we citizens of Texas to band together to stop the demolition of the Luther
Hotel?
As one Texan whose ancestors came to Texas in 1831, I say, Hell Yes!
See Facebook,
Palacios Preservation Association for more information.
Phil Fletcher, Austin
For questions, please contact:
Phil Fletcher
Palacios Preservation Association
phil67230@gmail.com
(512) 923-5378
Recent places that have featured our fight to save the Luther Hotel
Our local newspaper, the Palacios Beacon, comes out once a week and has consistently had articles in the newspaper related to the Luther Hotel.
- The Texas Standard on Dec.13.
- Texas Highways on Dec. 22.
- Crossroads Today on Jan. 10, Feb. 16
- Bay and Beyond Broadcasting on Feb. 1.
- The Victoria Advocate on Feb. 2
- The Austin American on Feb. 3.
- The Bay City Sentinel on Feb. 9, Feb 23
- The Victoria Advocate on Feb. 14, Feb. 16