Oviatt Building

Art by: Chris Hytha

Story by: Mark Houser

James Oviatt worked at Desmond's department store until he and a coworker launched their own menswear and hat shop in 1912. The partner perished from apparent poisoning that baffled physicians nine years later, but the store, Alexander & Oviatt, prospered until its sole remaining proprietor commissioned this new highrise for it, with leasable offices above and a 10-room penthouse for himself.

Oviatt filled the store with imported French fashion — not just the latest suits, but Art Deco glass sculpture and objets d'art by René Lalique. The Parisien artist also supplied a 30-ton glass ceiling to cover the open-air elevator forecourt. Oviatt even had French sand imported to make a beach by his rooftop pool.

At 57, the bachelor clothier was smitten by Mary Richards, a 22-year-old saleswoman, and proposed. They raised a son in the penthouse and spent the rest of their days together. But in his later years, the unabashed haberdasher wrecked his reputation by mailing anti-Semitic screeds to his customers.

The restored penthouse is now a wedding venue with many of its original furnishings. The store has been transformed into a swanky lounge where the orchestra plays Roaring Twenties repertoire. It was also the film location where Julia Roberts learned escargots can be slippery little suckers in "Pretty Woman."