LCRA awards $50,000 grant for new roof at historic Blessing Hotel
Blessing Historical Foundation will repair, upgrade hurricane-damaged 118-year-old hotel and community gathering space
NOV. 13, 2024
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $24,000 in matching funds from the historical foundation, will enable the group to replace the hotel’s 40-year-old roof and maintain an important historical and cultural landmark.
Jedie Pierce, president of the Blessing Historical Foundation, said the new roof is desperately needed for the hotel to remain in operation. Hurricanes this summer broke windows and damaged the hotel’s roof, dining room and a guest room. The storm also caused part of the ceiling to collapse and caused the wood floors to buckle in several places. Much of the damage has been repaired, but the roof remains in need of permanent repair.
“Right now, our roof is just patched, and I just don’t know how much longer it would have been able to hold up,” Pierce said. “Without this grant we would not be able to fix it, so this is a tremendous relief to us.”
The hotel is still operational and hosts community events throughout the year, including an annual Easter egg hunt, Halloween event and visit with Santa, as well as serving as a meeting spot for civic groups.
“The hotel was built in 1906 by my great-great-grandfather, and we’ve worked hard to keep it open and as true to what he created as we can,” Pierce said. “The rooms are pretty much the way they were all those years ago, and the other side of the hotel is the original cafe. We’re grateful that LCRA is investing in such an important landmark in our community.”
The hotel, which opened for business in 1907, was given to the Blessing Historical Foundation in 1977, and restoration began in 1978.
LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson said the hotel is important to the past, present and future of the Blessing area.
“The hotel was one of the first buildings in Blessing, and it has continued to play an important role in the area since then,” Wilson said. “The hotel helps create a sense of community for local residents as well as welcoming tourists to the area, which helps support local businesses. We at LCRA are proud to play a part in the restoration of this iconic structure.”
Hotel Blessing served as a hub for land prospectors and railroad employees during its early years, and during World War II housed military families as they came to see service members stationed at nearby Camp Hulen in Palacios. Today, the hotel is known for its hospitality, coffee shop and down-home cooking.
The community grant is one of 37 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund eligible capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves.
About LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority serves customers and communities throughout Texas by managing the lower Colorado River; generating and transmitting electric power; providing a clean, reliable water supply; and offering outdoor adventures at more than 40 parks along the Colorado River from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast. LCRA and its employees are committed to fulfilling our mission to enhance the quality of life of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. LCRA was created by the Texas Legislature in 1934 and receives no state appropriations.
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