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21-442: Designed by noted local architectural firm Ayres & Ayres ( Atlee & Robert M. Ayres ), the neo-gothic tower has a brick and terra-cotta octagonal exterior, featuring gothic elements (such as grotesques , often misidentified as gargoyles ) and an iconic green roof of Ludowici tile. The internal structure is reinforced concrete on the lower floors, and steel frame on the upper floors. A television transmission antenna topped

42-659: A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects , in 1931. He married Olive Moss Cox in San Antonio in 1896, and the couple had two sons, Atlee Jr and Robert. After his wife's death in 1937, he married Katherine Cox in 1940. Ayres was still practicing architecture when he died at the age of ninety-six on November 6, 1969, in San Antonio. He was buried in Mission Burial Park in San Antonio. William Ware William Ware (August 3, 1797 – February 19, 1852)

63-610: A bed & breakfast, and other fine homes. He designed San Antonio's Plaza Hotel (1927), its Federal Reserve Bank Building (1928), and, with his son Robert, its first skyscraper, the thirty-story Smith-Young Tower (1929), "still one of the city's most commanding works." His firm helped design the exterior of the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium (1923) and the Administration Building at Randolph Air Force Base (1931), often affectionately referred to as

84-524: A third floor and extensive reconstruction of the original 1887 Val Verde County Courthouse at Del Rio in 1915. From 1914 to 1917, Ayres served as the State Architect of Texas. In 1924, he created a new partnership with his son Robert M. Ayres . Many of the firm's works were designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style architecture , which was massively popular throughout San Antonio and

105-851: The David J. and May Bock Woodward House , which currently functions as a club house for the Woman's Club of San Antonio and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Bexar County, Texas on February 16, 1996. Ayres drew the plans of Courthouses for Cameron County in Brownsville , 1912; for Jim Wells County Alice , begun 1912; for Kleberg County in Kingsville , 1914; and for Refugio County in Refugio , completed 1917. He also oversaw adding

126-895: The Hamilton Hotel in Laredo in 1923. He designed the Seguin High School in 1914 (now the Mary B. Erskine School), the Starcke Furniture Co. building (1912), the Aumont Hotel (1916), Langner Hall at Texas Lutheran University , as well as the Blumberg and Breustedt mansions in Seguin . In San Marcos he designed a home for banker Lloyd Johnson in 1919. In Gonzales , his homes include the Booth House, now

147-758: The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired , the Texas State Office Building, the Carothers Dormitory (1937) and the original Pharmacy Building, among others on the campus at the University of Texas at Austin . He was active with other public, commercial buildings, and residences in South Texas towns, such as the 1920 Uvalde home of then-Congressman John Nance Garner , and the 12-story addition to

168-505: The "Taj Mahal," and remodeled the historic Menger Hotel (1949–53). Ayres authored the book Mexican Architecture: Domestic, Civil & Ecclesiastical in 1926. He was a charter member of the Texas Society of Architects , and he was one of a group of architects instrumental in securing passage of state legislation in 1937 for the licensing of architects to practice. Atlee B. Ayres was first architect from San Antonio to be honored as

189-590: The Alamo Flats luxury apartment hotel for many years. In 1890, Ayres went to New York to study at the Metropolitan School of Architecture, a subsidiary of Columbia University . There, he won first prize in the school's annual design competition. His teachers included William Ware , a student of Richard Morris Hunt . Ayres took drawing lessons at the Art Students League at night and studied painting under

210-501: The building as a residence with 244 units for rent, expected to be completed in 2026. Originally known as Smith-Young Tower, the tower was the central component of a partially completed 1920s development called the Bowen Island Skyscrapers. The other completed building in the development is the former Plaza Hotel (also designed by Ayres & Ayres and opened in 1927), which became the local outlet of Hilton Hotels in 1956 and

231-416: The building opened to the public, with 35,000 items on display and 225 members of staff. A famous purchase at this Sears, Roebuck & Co. took place on Nov. 17, 1934 when San Antonio Postmaster Dan Quill purchased multiple wedding rings from the jewelry counter on behalf of his friend Lyndon Baines Johnson , who was getting married later that day. Uncertain of the size, 12 wedding rings were purchased, with

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252-464: The campus of Providence Catholic School . Early in his solo career in San Antonio, Ayres designed a hotel (1907) later known as the Heimann Building, and now occupied by Avance , a non-profit serving children and families in need. He also made the plans for the still-surviving Halff house (1908), and for a villa for Col. George Washington Brackenridge that was later torn down. He also designed

273-519: The name of the building would change to Tower Life Building. Tower Life Building's exterior is featured prominently in the 1984 movie Cloak & Dagger . The building also appears in the background of scenes in the 2000 movie Miss Congeniality . The tower has been a fixture on evening news backdrops. Contrary to frequently-repeated stories along the River Walk, neither of the initial owners (Jim Smith nor Albert Smith) ended their lives by jumping from

294-454: The noted teacher and artist Frank Vincent DuMond . Upon his graduation in 1894, he returned to San Antonio and worked for various architects. He subsequently moved to Mexico City , where he practiced until 1900. That year he moved back to San Antonio and began a partnership with Charles A. Coughlin that lasted until Coughlin's death in 1905. One of their projects was the three-story home of Ethel Draught, at 1215 N. St. Mary's St, now part of

315-402: The one fitting Lady Bird Johnson's finger – and ultimately being selected – costing $ 2.98. When Smith-Young Tower emerged from receivership under a new owner (Dallas Rupe & Son., Inc.) in the mid-1930s, a competition was held for newspaper readers to write in with suggestions of a new name for the tower. The winning entry was submitted by school teachers Mr. & Mrs. Howard Doolittle, and

336-865: The surrounding area. They include the Hogg house (1924), the Mannen house (1926), the Newton house (1927), and the Atkinson house (1928), which is now known as the Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum . The firm was also adept in using other revival modes, including the English Tudor of the Jesse Oppenheimer residence (1924) and the Colonial Revival of the H. Lutcher Brown residence (1936). Other commissions include

357-704: The tower during the Great Depression. See also: List of museums in Central Texas Atlee Ayres Atlee Bernard Ayres (July 12, 1873 – November 6, 1969) was an American architect . He lived in central Texas . Atlee B. Ayres was born in Hillsboro, Ohio , on July 12, 1873, the son of Nathan Tandy and Mary Parsons Ayres. The family moved to Texas, lived in Houston , and then moved to San Antonio in 1888, where Ayres's father managed

378-583: The tower from 1953 until 2010, when the tower reverted to the original design of a copper tophouse with a 114 ft (35 m) tall flagpole. In 1991 the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. After 78 years of ownership by the H. B. Zachry Family, the building was purchased in May 2022 by an ownership group composed of San Antonio developers Ed Cross, Jon Wiegand, and McCombs Enterprises. This ownership group plans to usher in new era for

399-498: The tower's name was changed to Pan-American Tower in 1938. In 1942, the building was renamed Transit Tower for the San Antonio Transit Company, which was purchased by Dallas Rupe & Son., Inc. and had its headquarters in the building. On Dec. 15, 1943, the tower was acquired by Citizens Republic Life Insurance company. In 1960, the insurance company announced it would change its name to Tower Life Insurance company, and

420-758: Was an American writer and minister. Ware was born in Hingham, Massachusetts on August 3, 1797. He graduated from Harvard University in 1816, studied for the Unitarian ministry, and preached mainly in New York , and later in Massachusetts . He achieved literary recognition chiefly from his authorship of two historical romances , Zenobia, or the Fall of Palmyra (first published as Letters from Palmyra , 1836 and 1837) and Aurelian (first published as Probus , 1838). He contributed

441-587: 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 . The tower housed San Antonio's first Sears, Roebuck & Company store, originally occupying the building's basement and first 4 levels. Opening on March 7, 1929, Sears, Roebuck & Co. was the first portion of

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