Walking bustling Milam Street in the 1950s and ’60s was a feast for the senses. Selber Bros. department store was front and center on the shaded street where beautifully decorated storefronts faced a movie theater and popular Chinese restaurant.

With its gleaming white-glazed terra cotta and white ceramic-glazed brick architectural detailing, 509 Market Street looks like the top of a threetier wedding cake. At 10 stories, it was the symbol of successful commerce and the tallest building in town when it was built in 1911.