The Cecil Whig., 1881-11-12
Strawbridge & Clothier's New Store.

Strawbridge & Clothier's New Store.
Among the many improvements OF
Market street, few are 50 conspicuous as
the high, wide and handsome building o:
the northwest corner of Eighth, occupied
as the dry goods house of Strawbridge \
/ Clothier.
| The present large structure has beel
| added to at successive periods. being or.
/ ignally a smal. store on the North
west corner of the street named, front
/ ing 23 feet on Market. and running
| back 80 feet. At that time it was oc-
! cupied as 4 retail dry goods store by JUS
/ tus {. Strawbridge. the business having
/ been established in 1862. Only one iool
was used by Mr.. Strawhridge. In 1868
/ the firm of Strawhrldgc X Clothier was
established, by the admission of Mr..
| Isaac ii. Clothier to partnership. That
! year an adjoining store on Market street
and small store on Eighth street were
rented, giving the firm frontage of &C
/ feet on Market street. In 1874 the busi-
ness of the firm had SO increased that a
further enlargement was necessary and
two stores on Eighth street We're secured
atlording an entire depth of 100 feet u
I to this time the firm had rented the pro
perties occupied by them. In 1874 they
! purchased the buildings then occupied
by them. and few years later bought
the three stores adjoining their property
on the west, with Market street front.
The newly acquired buildings were torn
down, and on their site was erected one
large building, so constructed and arrang-
ed as to form part of. and correspond in
, style with the building property. In lSS0
Il still further enlargement was found to
be necessary, aud MeSSrs. Strawbridge
& Clothier secured by purchase eleven
small houses facing on what was known
as Fiibert avenue-a narrow court run
ming 200 feet south from Filbert street.
The work of demoliShing the row of
small houses and erecting a new building
. was Immediately begun. and when the
new structure was finished the firm had
one continuous line or surface of floor
extending all the way from Market street
to Filbert street. In the Spring Of the
present year the two properties, one on
the southwest corner of Eighth and Fill
bert streets, and the other adjoining on
the south, We're purchased. The store
and building that stood upon those lots
were new, but differed in general appear
ance and style from the Strawbridge &
Clothier new building. They were there
/ fore torn down and one building erected
corresponding in finish and design to the
general workmanship on the older build
| lngs of the firm.
AS nearly completed, the building is
handsome, capacious, and in every way
! well adapted to the wants of large mer-
camille house. The first story on Market
! street is of iron front, and the other
! stories of pictou stone. The Eighth
street fronts and the FilSert street rear
are faced with pressed brick. with orna-
mental trimmings of brick and stone cap
pings and corniceS. The first floor of
the main or front building, as we'll as the
long, narrow department running back
| to Filbert street, and the new store not
! yet completed, on the corner, are all
! given up exclusively to the extensive re-
| tail business of the firm. Heavy, dark
| wood counters run along the walls, and
/ ranged about the centre of the floor seem
| to divide the large store intoa number OF
smaller establishments. The place is
fitted up with all the modern convenienceS
and is finished in hard wood. Near the
westernmost door on Market street is a
capacious elevator finished III walnut. 1t
runs from the basement to the top floor.
| The second story. like the first has the
| full depth of the improved building. The
| front part is used as the salesroom, where
| ladies cloaks, coats. dresses and general
garments are sold. To afford light to
the ground floor. an opening is made in
! the second story. which gives it the ap-
pearance of a gallery to the lower sales,
room. In the rear is 4 ladies' waiting
room, the tables are furnished with news
papers, periodicals.. &c. Further back
are the fitting and dressmakng depart
ments. Between the second and third
floors, in the rear of the main building
| is a sort of semi story. which is occupied
| as the Auditing Department and for Off
| GERS. The entire third floor in the mail
| building is used as the saleSroom for the
! wholesale business. The fourth floor is
occupied as receiving and storage room
where the stock is first brought by &
| freight elevator when admitted to the
| house. Here it is examined aud arranged
On this floor is also 4 mail order depart
ment, where about forty young men are
engaged i'll attending to the business cor
respondence and shipments of the house
y fashion paper is published here for cir.
culation among the patrons of the firm
On this floor, rs indeed throughout the
house may be seen standing at intervals
along the floor string of buckets filled
with water. Above, on the wall. is q
card notifying the observer where the
different apparatus that might be used in
case of fire is kept.
On the fifth, or top floor, are large par.
titioned rooms used for different branches
of the trade. One of the chief indus
tries to be noticed here is shirt making,
at which are employed a large number
Of girls. They use sewing machines
which are run by steam. On this tlQoi
also are several lunch rooms, where the
hands take their meals during working
hours In all of these different depart
ments some new modern appliance has
been recently introduced, and Gonduces
to the comfort of the employees or the
better workings of the big building.
The long area of store standing on the
site of old Filbert avenue is but tive
stories in height. The new property al
the end is four stories in height, anG
of the same general design as the build
ing proper. On the first and second
floors are salesrooms. The third and
fourth floors are occupied as sewing
rooms. Here large force of young
women are at work in rooms which have
probably no superior in this country ful
brightness, ventilation and general com.
tort. Lunch rooms for the girls are alSC
placed on these floors. An elevator in
the Filbert street extension, Just COM
p!eted, runs to the top Of the new build
ing.
The entire property is admirably light
ed and ventilated. On the lower floors d
large skylight affords ample light, and
inclined artists windows make the illu-
mination almast perfect
All through the building there is evi-
dcnce that the most careful study has
been given to every detail of arrange
ment for the health and comfort of EN-
ployes and the convenience of customers,
as well as the satisfactory transaction oi
the great business of the house.
! Philada. Ledger Of Nov. lst