Downtown San Antonio, Texas has a lot of interesting buildings. One of them is the neo-gothic Tower Life Building. The 30-floor skyscraper was designed by local architects Ayres & Ayres and opened in 1929. Originally named the Smith-Young Tower, the building was the home of San Antonio’s first Sears, Roebuck and Company Store.
I love the unusual octagonal shape of the tower and the two-tone brick and terra-cotta exterior. The gargoyles jutting from the top floors are a bit unusual for San Antonio. It’s a beautiful building.
At one point, a television transmission tower topped the building. Luckily for us, the tower was transmission tower was removed and the copper dome and flag pole were restored in 2010.
Mostly True 