A working warehouse
The building was completed in 1901 on the foundation of an 1898 warehouse that had burned after a lightning strike. Until 1963 it served as a warehouse for ploughs and other farm equipment, and later for a grocery wholesaler.
The Texas School Book Depository
In 1963 the building was leased to the Texas School Book Depository Company, which used it as a distribution hub for school textbooks. The company kept its lease until 1970.
A museum on the sixth floor
Dallas County acquired the building, returned its exterior to its 1901 appearance and completed the restoration in 1981. The Sixth Floor exhibit opened on 20 February 1989, and the museum is run by the non-profit Dallas County Historical Foundation.



