A fire on The Strand in 1869 destroyed an earlier structure at this site. John F. Magale (d. 1880) built this edifice in 1870 to house his wholesale liquor business. Cast iron was used for the first floor facade and window hood molding for the Victorian building. Similar detailing decorates the adjoining structure, erected the following year. From 1889 until the late 1960s, this building was occupied by J. F. Smith and brother, A well-known paint and hardware store. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1978