Tax Credit Program Highlight: Louis H. Smith Firestone Building

History

The Firestone Building is a shining example of early 20th century automobile history, as it is an original auto service and tire center that serviced motorists traveling on the famous Route 66 through downtown Amarillo. The building was built for $35,000 in 1930, for the original Firestone tire distributer in in Amarillo. The building was designed in the Art Deco style by local Amarillo architects Joseph Champ Berry and E.G. Hatch. The establishment opened with much fanfare, including a visit from Harvey Firestone himself, who traveled down from Akron, Ohio for the grand opening. The store was advertised to provide “every conceivable tire and care service,” and featured a large open-air service bay at the center, an interior waiting room, auto repair garages, and a second-floor tire loft where hundreds of tires were stored by size and grade.

Rehabilitation Project

After the interstate highway system supplanted surface highways like Route 66, buildings like this experienced long periods of vacancy and deterioration. Local developers gave this building needed repairs and reconceived the interior spaces as modern loft apartments, which feature the original industrial finishes, such as concrete and wood plank floors, and exposed ceiling joists and brick walls. Some of the exterior space under the extensive outdoor canopy was also captured for use as an entryway and tenant lounge. This new enclosure was held as close as possible to the rear of the outdoor canopy space, so that the site can still be imagined as an auto service center.