Philadelphia Keeps Strawbridge Name but Loses a Retail Tradition - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 57.079 W 075° 09.217
18S E 486877 N 4422365
It was big news in 1997 when this mainstay of Philadelphia was bought. It was even bigger news when the name was eventually changed...forever!
Waymark Code: WMCVQD
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 10/16/2011
Views: 4
When I climbed up the stairs from the High Speed Line stop below, I immediately saw this monstrosity looming high above me, the letters of its former name removed and now looking ghostly. The structure appeared empty and old. I then spotted the cornerstone and realized this was another Depression-era building erected in the twenties. The oversized large, limestone block is located on the southeast corner of the building at 8th & Market Streets. The stone is one up from the foundation. The date, 1928 is simply incised into the building blocks and is not separate or unusual in any way. I was curious as to the history of this building and company so I looked it up on line and saw a few newspaper articles. One of the articles not used for this waymark can be found HERE.
In 1931 the company opened a modern store building on the site, the Beaux Arts-style limestone monument that dominates the corner today. Planning and design by Philadelphia architectural firm Simon & Simon began in 1928, before the Wall Street crash, but by ribbon-cutting at the depth of the Depression, the staggering $10 million cost of such grand construction nearly suffocated the cash-strapped company. 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. 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. SOURCE
Justus C. Strawbridge first opened a store in Philadelphia in 1861 and then partnered with Isaac H. Clothier in 1868. For the next 128 years Strawbridge and Clothier remained a family owned and run company known for its great relationship with its employees and customers.
Address
Strawbridge & Clothier
801 Market Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania