He once said that his goal was to transform fading east Market Street into "the Champs-Élysées of Philadelphia." Late 20th-century demise Īfter successfully fighting off a hostile takeover attempt by Ronald S. It was the vision of S&C Chairman Stockton Strawbridge that was instrumental in revitalizing the Market East retail district in the 1970s, a vision that is still apparent today despite the demise of both Gimbels and Strawbridge's. The building subsequently became the eastern anchor in 1977 of The Gallery, an urban mall connecting Strawbridge & Clothier with Gimbels, which had relocated from across Market Street to join the mall. By the time of the ribbon-cutting in 1931 in the depth of the Great Depression, the staggering $10 million cost (equivalent to $192 million in 2022) of such grand construction nearly suffocated the cash-strapped company.
Designed in the Beaux Arts-style by the Philadelphia architectural firm Simon & Simon, the cost of the limestone building was expected to be $6.5 million, an amount which caused some concern to the store's owners. In 1928, the company decided to replace all but one of its buildings with a new edifice, and began construction in phases on the 13-story building which stands on the corner of Market and North 8th Street today. They soon replaced the old building with one of 5 stories, and then expanded into neighboring buildings as well. Strawbridge & Clothier purchased the 3-story brick building on the northwest corner of Market and 8th Streets in Center City Philadelphia that had been Thomas Jefferson's office from 1790 to 1793 while he served as Secretary of State, and opened their first store. Strawbridge & Clothier began as a dry goods store founded by Quakers Justus Clayton Strawbridge (1838–1911) and Isaac Hallowell Clothier (1837–1921) in Philadelphia in 1868. On September 9, 2006, the Strawbridge's and Hecht's nameplates were completely phased-out in favor of the Macy's brand.Įarly history Building the 1931 limestone flagship building nearly bankrupted the company during the Depression From 1870 to 1930, the 5-story S&C stood at 8th and Market Streets (1910s postcard) 1800s Macy's closed Strawbridge's flagship Center City store on May 23, 2006. On February 1, 2006, the former May Company divisions were all dissolved, and operating control of the remaining Strawbridge's stores was assumed by Macy's East. May operated the Strawbridge's stores under the Northern Virginia-based Hecht's Department Store division. The retailer started adding branch stores starting in the 1930s and, by their zenith in the 1980s, enjoyed annual sales of over a billion dollars By the 1990s, Strawbridge's became part of the May Department Stores conglomerate until May's acquisition by Federated Department Stores on August 30, 2005. The Center City Philadelphia flagship store was, in its day, a gracious urban emporium. Strawbridge's, formerly Strawbridge & Clothier, was a department store in the northeastern United States, with stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Official website (2004 archive) at the Wayback Machine (archived )
Defunct department store chain Strawbridge'sĬlothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares.
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