Westside Preservation Alliance

A vacant property that history advocates have been fighting to save caught fire late Wednesday night in San Antonio. 503 Urban Loop — a former brothel and later orphanage — found itself at the center of local controversy last summer after its owners filed a request to demolish the building.

Sometime this summer, Fannie Porter's brothel — where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid out — lost its historic designation.

Residents of San Antonio’s West Side have struggled for years to save homes, stores, dance halls and restaurants from developers who believe the area is ripe for urban renewal.

Some of the the Westside's lesser known figures are getting their due in a virtual exhibit at the Museo del Westside — a museum that celebrates the community’s unique history, heritage and pride.

Poor communities that have a rich cultural history often battle developers and city officials who may want to demolish structures to make way for improved…

Historic preservation is defined as the conservation of buildings, landscapes or other artifacts with historical significance, but structures with…