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Restored Victorian era cast iron facade of the Zinszer Building, a historic building in downtown Birmingham — Montgomery Entities relocated its headquarters to the historic Zinszer Building in late 2020. (Montgomery Entities)

Restoration, renovation and an enduring entrepreneurial spirit all came together beautifully for a local company’s new headquarters in one of Birmingham’s oldest and most architecturally significant historic buildings, the circa-1889 Zinszer Building at 2117 2nd Ave. North downtown.

Originally, the roughly 30,000-square-foot building was the site of the city’s first large furniture store, and it has one of only two remaining Victorian-era cast-iron façades in town. (The other is on the Iron Age Building, around the corner on 20th Street North.)

Read on to discover the building’s connection to one of Birmingham’s first female entrepreneurs, see inside and who’s there now.

Zinszer Building history

an old photo of the Zinszer Building when it was home to Peter Zinszer's Mammoth Furniture House — An early 1900s gathering in front of the Zinszer Building, where cars sport banners promoting the Gulf-to-Tennessee Model Highway. (Montgomery Entities)

Peter and Rosa Zinszer and their son, Joseph, moved here in 1854 from Louisville, Kentucky. They established their furniture business and built the building on Second Avenue North within five years.

When Peter died in 1895 at age 37, Rosa opted not to sell the business to her brother, instead choosing to run it herself (with him as the manager) and renaming the business a moniker that stuck, “Peter Zinszer’s Mammoth Furniture House.” Even after remarrying, she ran it until selling it in 1915. She died 15 years later at age 73.

“Rosa was one of Birmingham’s earliest female entrepreneurs, and that story resonated deeply with our team. There’s a sense of pride in knowing that our headquarters is not only historic, but also tied to a legacy of innovation and resilience.”
_{Anna Lacy McMains, VP Marketing & Communications, Montgomery Entities}

Who’s in this historic building today?

Board room of the Zinszer Building in downtown Birmingham — Montgomery Entities’ headquarters in the Zinszer Building represents an $8.3 million capital investment. (Montgomery Entities)

Renovated executive lounge inside the Zinszer Building in downtown Birmingham — Montgomery Entities’ headquarters in the Zinszer Building represents an $8.3 million capital investment. (Montgomery Entities)

After many more years as a furniture store and later evading demolition, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Around 1986, it underwent a major renovation for office spaces.

Fast forward to late 2020, when locally-based Montgomery Entities brought several of its companies under one roof, enlisting Designform as the architect, RaderMcCary for construction and Interior Elements and Design Supply for interiors.

They reconfigured and redesigned the building’s spaces to serve its suite of brands:

🍸 Armour House + Pogo Cocktail Bar Executive Offices: A special meal + drinks, anyone?
🛞 Luxe Auto Management & Parking (LAMP): The hot new luxury car service to take you there (or anywhere).
🧩 Core Talent Services: Where to find your next star hire.
🤝 BoMont Group Insurance: Protect what matters most.

“Downtown Birmingham has incredible momentum right now, and we are proud to be part of it. By planting our headquarters in the Zinszer Building, we wanted to invest not only in a historic landmark, but also in the city’s future. Every day we see new energy, new businesses and new opportunities taking shape here, and it is rewarding to know Montgomery Entities is contributing to that story.”
_{Rollins Montgomery, CEO}

Birmingham Business Alliance’s temporary home

Restored Victorian era cast iron facade of the Zinszer Building in downtown Birmingham — The Birmingham Business Alliance chose to make the Zinszer Building its temporary home in July 2025. (Birmingham Business Alliance)

Foyer and reception area of the Zinszer Building in downtown Birmingham — The Birmingham Business Alliance chose to make the Zinszer Building its temporary home in July 2025. (Birmingham Business Alliance)

In July, the Birmingham Business Alliance added to the building’s entrepreneurial energy, moving in temporarily while it sets longer-term plans for a permanent space.

“The Zinszer Building is a beautiful space, and we’re grateful to call it our temporary home. We are also proud to have Montgomery Entities as a valued BBA investor and an important resource in connecting us with spaces to host networking events.”
_{BBA President & CEO Steve Ammons}

While there’s no way to know for sure, we think the Zinszers would appreciate their building’s revival within the Birmingham business community.

Learn more about Montgomery Entities + its companies’ services here.

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