Casa de Palmas
Why it's listed
Casa de Palmas is a Spanish Colonial Revival hotel in the center of McAllen, Texas, at 101 N. Main Street. Built in 1918 as a wood-frame, stucco-clad building with an H-shaped plan, it has red tile roofs, curvilinear gables, paired bell towers and a front courtyard lined with palms. A south wing was added in 1939, and a large expansion in 1972-73 wrapped around the older building to form a pool courtyard. Lightning-caused fire damaged the new work and the towers in 1973, and the hotel reopened in 1974. The hotel was developed by the town's mayor, O. P. Archer, and bank president R. E. Horn after efforts to attract an outside hotel firm failed. It was meant to establish the ten-year-old town as a commercial and tourist destination. Farmers, travelers bound for Monterrey, fraternal groups and families holding graduations and weddings all used it, and it served as the community's main social gathering place for decades. It remains in hotel use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the hotel was created by McAllen's civic leaders to establish the young town as a destination and commercial center. For decades it served as the community's main social gathering place and a base for agricultural businessmen and tourists. It is listed under Criterion A for community planning and development.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 03000276, listed April 18, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 101 N. Main St., McAllen |
|---|---|
| County | Hidalgo County |
| Listed | April 18, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000276 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1918-1945 |
| Architect / builder | M.L. Waller (architect), L.C. Lewis (general contractor); Newell Waters (architect, 1939 addition) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Spanish Colonial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a hotel; the form lists both historic and current function as hotel, with 170 rooms and five suites after expansion. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 26.20482, -98.23435 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 03000276.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q107318937
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.