Flagship Store
The flagship store opened in 1907, and occupied a full city block bounded by Market, 7th, Filbert, and 8th Streets. The store was an assemblage of 33 buildings built between 1859 and 1918, which were joined so the interior appeared as one building. The unique façade of this building's front on Market Street caused it to become known as the "cast iron" building. The architects were Charles M. Autenrieth and his partner Edward Collins.
After the chain closed in 1977, the store was vacant until redeveloped as office and commercial space in the late 1980s. The building reopened as Mellon Independence Center, after its principal occupant Mellon Bank. The sign reading "Hats Trimmed Free of Charge" can still be seen today on the façade of the redeveloped flagship building. The historic 720,000-square-foot (67,000 m2) building was recently on the market for $70 million.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and is located on the East Center City Commercial Historic District.
Read more about this topic: Lit Brothers
Famous quotes containing the word store:
“Finishing schools in the fifties were a good place to store girls for a few years before marrying them off, a satisfactory rest stop between college weekends spent husband hunting. It was a haven for those of us adept at styling each other’s hair, playing canasta, and chain smoking Pall Mall extra-long cigarettes.”
—Barbara Howar (b. 1934)