San Antonio's pride!!!

max777 · #1 Posted **Oct 30, 2008, 12:22 AM**

The Tower Life Building
Hey San Antonio, in case you don't know our Tower Life Building is older than the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. It is ALSO the oldest and tallest skyscraper over 30 stories and higher in the State of Texas. It was built in the year 1929 when the stock market crashed. Had it not been for the crash we would have had a complex of other skyscrapers surrounding the Tower Life Building. Congratulations, S.A.!!! Our Baby!!!

BSofA04 · #2 Posted **Oct 31, 2008, 2:29 AM**

Even today it's the best skyscraper downtown.

KevinFromTexas · #3 Posted **Oct 31, 2008, 2:50 AM**

I am also a fan.

Really, how can you not love it??

JACKinBeantown · #4 Posted **Oct 31, 2008, 2:50 AM**

Here, here! One of my faves of all time.

Schertz1 · #5 Posted **Oct 31, 2008, 3:33 AM**

I believe it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi back then.

max777 · #6 Posted **Oct 31, 2008, 2:48 PM**

Oh, and guys we must not forget the architectural firm who built "our baby", The Tower Life Building was Ayres and Ayres. I wonder what became of their legacy because I am truly and deeply a big fan of their architecture.

KevinFromTexas · #7 Posted **Oct 31, 2008, 6:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schertz1

I believe it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi back then.

No, Seattle has the Smith Tower which is taller. It's 462 feet tall with 36 floors and was built in 1914. It was the tallest west of the Mississippi for sometime. It was also one of the tallest buildings in the world outside of New York, though not the tallest. The building also has a 22 foot flagpole that tops out at 484 feet above the street.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu?id=s...seattle-wa-usa

Texas Tuff · #8 Posted **Oct 31, 2008, 7:12 PM**

The Tower Life Building is certainly my favorite highrise in SA and a true gem

arbeiter · #9 Posted **Nov 2, 2008, 8:52 AM**

It is definitely something to be proud of - it's one of the finest skyscrapers of its era and gives San Antonio an older, gilded look to its skyline that will sadly never be possible in Austin.

Jeeper · #10 Posted **Nov 2, 2008, 4:02 PM**

Not my favorite tall building in San Antonio, but in the top 5 for sure.

KevinFromTexas · #11 Posted **Nov 3, 2008, 2:47 AM**

A few pics I took of it last Christmas.

max777 · #12 Posted **Nov 5, 2008, 1:39 PM**

Wow, perfect angle Kevin, I am turning that last pic you submitted into my wall paper. I can't get enought of it! What I want to know is if the color lighting the tower at night is red instead of orange because I like the red hue much better. I challenge the Texas forum to submit more pics of the LIFE building with different angles for all of us that appreciate it. It is a building that could easily fit in Chicago or New York. But it is ours!

sakyle04 · #13 Posted **Nov 5, 2008, 2:16 PM**

a couple i took in spring '08...

max777 · #14 Posted **Nov 5, 2008, 2:17 PM**

The Tower Life Building is a landmark and historic building in San Antonio, Texas.
Construction of the tower began in 1927 and the building rises 403 feet (123 meters) and has 30 floors. The building, which opened in 1929 was originally named the Smith-Young Tower and is the central component of a paritally completed development called the Bowen Island Skyscrapers. The eight sided, neo-gothic brick and terra-cotta tower (complete with gargoyles) was designed by noted local architectural firm Ayers & Ayers (Atlee & Robert B. Ayers). The building also housed San Antonio's first Sears, Roebuck and Company store in its basement and first levels.

The other completed building in the development is the former Plaza Hotel (also designed by Ayers & Ayers), which opened in 1927. The property became the local outlet of Hilton Hotels in 1956 and was converted into the Granada Apartments in 1966. Subsequent structures in the development were never built as a direct result of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression.

In the 1940's the building was renamed the Transit Tower for the San Antonio Transit Company, which the Smith Brothers purchased in 1943. The building is now named for its current owner, Tower Life Insurance Company.

*In 1991 the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

alexjon · #15 Posted **Nov 5, 2008, 5:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

No, Seattle has the Smith Tower which is taller. It's 462 feet tall with 36 floors and was built in 1914. It was the tallest west of the Mississippi for sometime. It was also one of the tallest buildings in the world outside of New York, though not the tallest. The building also has a 22 foot flagpole that tops out at 484 feet above the street.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu?id=s...seattle-wa-usa

I've met the lady that lives in the top of the Smith Tower, she's very nice

KevinFromTexas · #16 Posted **Nov 6, 2008, 9:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by max777

What I want to know is if the color lighting the tower at night is red instead of orange because I like the red hue much better.

Thanks. I think the red color was just for Christmas decoration. The red lights bathing the facade with the green roof. Very Christmas-y.

From the forum meet in July...

Next time, I'm bringing a bottle of Windex with me.

From July of this year. I went out on Sunday too and took more pics.

From July of '07.

max777 · #17 Posted **Nov 17, 2008, 12:21 AM**

Trivia: What are the gargoyles of on the Tower Life Building in San Antonio?
I know that gargoyles have been been put on buildings throughtout history so as to ward of evil.
I can't quite see them from the closeset shot on this thread but will someone help me on this one, I can't figure what they are. They just seem to stick out of the building like fingers tempting you to come closer.

NBTX11 · #18 Posted **Nov 17, 2008, 5:43 AM**

jordan · #19 Posted **Nov 18, 2008, 3:11 AM**

I always thought the Tower Life building was a beauty. It will always be a beauty on the S.A. skyline. And it shows especially since it is not longer the tallest, it still sticks out.

STLtoSA · #20 Posted **Nov 18, 2008, 10:56 PM**

I thought that the SW Bell building (1926) in St. Louis was taller, but the tower life building surpassed it by 7 feet when it was built in 1929.

St. Louis' Civil Courts building (1929) is 18 feet shorter than the Tower Life Building.

Further research shows:

Tulsa: 320 South Boston Building (1929) - 4 feet shorter
Houston: JPMorgan Chase Building (1929) - 24 feet taller
LA: Los Angeles City Hall (1927) - 50 feet taller
Minneapolis: Foshay Tower (1929) - 43 feet taller
Kansas City: Oak Tower (1929) - 25 feet shorter

Not the tallest west of the Mississippi when built, but definately the Pride of SA.