About
With a deep understanding of and appreciation for historic buildings, two local investors purchased this property in 2020 with a vision of restoring the 1932 Art Deco building to its nostalgic beauty, although it had been disguised since its 1980s renovation. Designed and constructed in 1932 by local businessman and dairyman John L. Campbell to accommodate street level retail tenants and second level apartments, the building is lauded as one of the few remaining Art Deco / Art Moderne structures still standing in Smith County. The original tenants, Eisen’s French Market and the Parisian Beauty Salon, were typical of that time and they remained until the building was purchased by Gerald Mann, former Texas Attorney General, in 1946. Once purchased, it was converted into the Dixie-Sunshine-Trailways bus station and the Art Moderne style addition, highlighted by the curved, glass-block windows on the second level, was constructed. Through several mergers and acquisitions, Greyhound Bus Lines became the owner, and it was during their proprietorship that the 1980s renovation took place. Although metal panels added to the exterior during this renovation were unsightly and removed during the 2020 restoration, they can take credit for preserving the beautiful brick and stone façade lying underneath. Countless stories of people traveling through the bus station going to war, visiting family around the state, heading off to college, attending summer camps, as well as other significant memories for the people of Tyler and East Texas have been told. Honoring those memories and the rich history of the building, great pride and attention to detail has been taken to restore the Tyler Union Station / Campbell building and the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 19, 2023. From its original design serving Tyler and East Texas locals via retail and living spaces, to its next life as a bus station for transients, this historically relevant building has always been centered around people and is bridging the past and present by serving both locals and travelers today.