On a chilly day before the auction, I toured the Talmage with other scavengers, many of whom carried tape measures and note pads. Figuring I could get one for 10 or 15 bucks, I signed an application and became bidder No. 91. The Talmage is an old-fashioned apartment house built in 1927, in its heyday one of the finest buildings in town. Designed by Hawk and Parr of Oklahoma City, its construction was supervised by Amarillo architect Guy Carlander. Electric elevators, walnut doors and the city's first parking garage were among its amenities.
Most large cities have thousands of such buildings.
Amarillo has but one, and its prime has long since passed. In fact the Talmage is hopelessly outdated. Previous owners understandably chose not to spend the millions required to maintain it in top condition. Tiny kitchens, corroded plumbing, stained bathtubs, ruined carpet and a pervasive sense of decay greeted scavengers as we roamed. Other apartments, though, seemed decent, and as I strolled from room to room bumping into fellow bidders, I scribbled notes about light fixtures and glass-front bookcases I might buy.