Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-01-18
From Hunts Merchants Magazine.
A Model Clothing Establishment.

There is in Boston one of the largest es-
adjustments for the manufacture of clothes
in the United States. We allude to GEO.
w. SIMMONS coax Hall Rotunda," as it is
termed by its enterprising proprietor. Some
idea of its extent may be gathered from the
fact, that the sales amount to half million
dollars per annum, and that there are en-
ployed in the manufacture twenty-five fash
ionabe cutters and trimmers, two book
keenars one "ash'er and assistant. one pay-
master, five runners, 2 expresses, thirty sales
men, and three hundred operatives con-
stantly plying the needle. The Boston
Post furnishes the following description of
this magnificent establishment.
Mr.. George w. Simmons, of Oak Hall
has marked the season by making most
important improvement in his vast establish
ment. He has added spacious and lofty
rotunda in the rear of the large sales room
on Ann street This rotunda is also for
clothes mart, and is well worthy of de-
scription, and should be visited as an object
of interest by those who are anxious in OBJ
serving how the trade of Boston in the
clothing branch is rapidly increasing. The
dimensions of the rotunda are fifty feet by
forty-seven, giving an area of 1850 feet on
the basement floor, and the depth from the
centre of the splendid variegated sky-lght
to the floor is sixty-fve feet. The light is
30 feet by 49, and the stained glass is ofthe
most beautiful pattern. The main saloon,
open from the first raised floor to the stuc-
CO work ceiling, and filled with food of
light from above on every side, is in fact
divided into two apartments, by means of a
gallery of oak, with an elegant iron ballus:
trade. The gallery is reached by a short
flight of stairs, which branch off into pair,
to the right and left on the west side. A
boae the basement portion the form is clip
tic. On the first floor there are two elliptic
counters, with room on each for nine sales
men to wait on customers at ease-making
eighteen in all at the counters; and around
the counters are shelves for 5000 articles of
clothing. In the intervals are four small
rooms, or lighted closets, for assorted made
up clothing. Between the counters and
the well-room railing is broad promenade
from which may be seen not only all the
parts of the rotunda, but the two sales rooms
which project into Ann street. This view
is obtained by means of two twelve feet
doors, which afford access to the rotunda
from the Ann-Sreet rooms. In the second
or gallery tier, are no less than twelve
rooms for assorted garments, regularly class
si6ed, completely lighted with ample win
dows Here, too, is Mr. Simmons own a.
partment, on the western side of the gallery,
which commands view of the whole es-
Enlistment, resembling u gay bazaar with
two long streets. In the night the light is
supplied with "a gas burners in shaded
globes. The walls from the gallery to the
dome are ornamented by beautiful piasters
of the Corinthian order The basement "a
partment is devoted to woolens and piece
goods, and an immense furnace, set up by
Mr.. w hite, for warming the establishment in
winter. Here, then, we have {" Oak Hall
for Eighteen hundred and Forty-nine," the
most extensive establishment for the sale of
clothing in the United States, namely, a
rotunda of three tiers, counting the pit, two
long avenues, alive with statesmen, project
ing from the rotunda to Ann street, and five
large store and sales room up stairs in the
old building. There are on hand in this
immense magazine of wearing apparel d.
900 garments, and stock enough for o.
900 more; and the entire arrangement, re-
garded as a whole, is much more like vast
fair than a retail store.