San Antonio's first skyscraper — the Tower Life Building

It’s a bird, it’s a plane — well actually, it’s the Tower Life Building.

This iconic skyscraper has been an integral part of the San Antonio skyline since June 1, 1929 when it first opened under the name Smith-Young Tower .

We suspect many of our readers weren’t around to witness the tower’s construction — although if you know someone who was, email us (we’d love to talk about their legacy in San Antonio).

So, we thought it would be fun to revisit the fun facts about the tower and its importance to the Alamo City.

• The 30-story building was at one point the tallest structure in San Antonio, up until 1968 when the Tower of the Americas debuted.
• Architect Robert M. Ayres designed the tower in a Gothic Revival fashion, reflecting his influence from his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania.
• The building originally housed San Antonio’s first Sears in the lower two stories, with offices above.
• The building is adorned with grotesques — often mistaken for gargoyles.
• In 1961, the name was officially changed to Tower Life Building after the current owner’s insurance company.
• It was not until 2010 that the tower’s original copper tophouse + 100 ft-tall flagpole that you see today was re-added.

Fast forward a few years, the Zachry family sold the building in May 2022 for an undisclosed price. The historic structure is set to undergo a two-year renovation project to convert a large portion of the building into a 244-unit apartment complex.

As we look ahead to all the wonderful developments coming to our city over the next few years, it’s nice to look back at where we started + where we’re headed.