Colonel Goldsby built the present-day Tepper’s Building around 1850. Tepper’s was originally two buildings with a center wall, but the floor and roof were destroyed by fire in 1865. Abraham Oberndorf combined the two buildings and installed a new front in 1904, making it the only five-story building in Selma.
Ben and Jake Tepper started Tepper Bros. Mercantile Co. in 1906. The store moved to 25-29 Broad Street in 1913, where Ben Tepper and Max Hagedorn sold dry goods, men’s and women’s apparel, house furnishings, toys and shoes. The business was renamed Tepper’s Department Store in 1967.
Tepper’s Department Store operated in the Tepper’s Building through 1972. For the majority of the past 35 years, this building has stood empty and uncared for. The Freedom Foundation bought the building in January 2007 and began renovations in March 2007, when they removed the green aluminum siding that covered the original stone exterior.
Click on the links below to explore the history of the Tepper's Building!
B Rd St. - Selma Alabama - circa 1900
'Selma Mirror' Newspaper Clipping
'Selma Mirror' Newspaper Clipping 2
Old Broad Street Schematic - 1979
Old Broad Street Illustration - 1979
Early City Renovation Plans - circa 1970
Early City Renovation Plans 2 - circa 1970
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