One of the last original seaside hotels along the Gulf Coast is under threat of demolition, and local preservationists are working together to save it.

The Luther Hotel, which Preservation Texas listed on its 2022 Most Endangered Places list, was built in 1903 and designed by noted regional architect Jules C. Leffland. Listed on both the National Register and as a Texas Historic Landmark, the hotel is currently under contract to be sold, with the agreement stating that the property must be demolished. Advocates for preserving it want to see the hotel saved and restored so that it can help "interpret the early history of Palacios" and continue to contribute to the city's economy.

As reported in the Victoria Advocate in late January 2023, National Trust for Historic Preservation Deputy General Counsel Elizabeth Merritt and Associate General Counsel Chris Cody wrote in a letter dated Jan. 19 to the Ed Rachal Foundation (the nonprofit that has a pending contract for the land the Luther Hotel sits on), “We write to you today to strongly urge you to explore alternatives to the demolition of this important historic place. The Luther Hotel is an irreplaceable historic resource that is a significant icon of the Palacios community. Its importance to the community and the public at large is evidenced, for example, by Preservation Texas including it on their 2022 Most Endangered Places list.”

To sign your name in support of the Luther Hotel's protection, please visit the Palacios Preservation Committee's Change.org petition.

This article was edited on March 15, 2023.