Historical Marker
Scarbrough Building
Historical marker location:
101 E. 6th Street, Austin, Texas
( 101 E. 6th Street)
Marker installed: 2001
Scarbrough Building
Alabama native Emerson Monroe Scarbrough (1846-1925) came to Texas following service in the
Civil War and settled in Milam County, where he was a successful merchant. He opened a branch of his business, Scarbrough and Hicks, on Congress Avenue in 1893, moving one block north in 1894. In 1910, on this adjacent, prominent corner, he completed Austin's first skyscraper. His new building was designed in the Chicago style by Fort Worth architects Sanguinet and Staats. It was enlarged and redesigned with Art Deco elements in 1930-31 by Wyatt C. Hedrick, Inc. and Edwin
Kreisle. An early leader in modern merchandising, Scarbrough's closed this downtown location in 1983.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002.
Texas was once an independent country: After winning its independence from Mexico in 1836, Texas became its own country, known as the Republic of Texas. It existed as an independent nation for nine years before being annexed by the United States in 1845.