Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-05

The Imposing BUILDING Erected for
Saks q, COmPany-Solid Materi.Is and
Elegant Workmanship-Arrs
o. the Building. Etc.

The Imposing Buildin@ E...S>A "a.
Saks 4. COmpany-Solid Mnser,.1. ana
Elegant Workmanship-Arran~ement
Of the Building, Etc.
The tendency of the retail trade a, ..r..r q,
comparatively few large Observation-Disclosures
makes demand upon the architect for huse
structures adapted In their details tn the v.ri.
Gus branches OF mercantile business FIR which
they are intended. In the imposine edifice
just completed at the corner of eth street and
Pennsylvania avenue, for Saks 4 On tho arcbi.
tect has given most satisfactory solution of
the problem presented to him. This building
Is one OF the most notable structures built in
the city during an era of building which
has been characterized by the size elegance
and solidity of the business houses erected
The exterior is OF most imposing appearances
The architect has worked out of brick an
agreeable to the eye. The rich and solid charac.
ter Of the interior finish fulfls the great promise
the txo havne or
IS feet, and one having q ff e ae II az, q
100 feet. Thus the building has aepsh 'front.' ct
of so feet on Pennsylvania avenue and
1161a feet on 7th street. There is wing or al, !"
building There are five floors, besides ca me
cious basement. The exterior presents the an
pearance of a four-story building with an unus-
that there should be but four floors. The archi-
tect, however, ingeniously provided for a fifth
floor, thus greatly increasing the business facil.
tiles of the house, as in these days of vertical
railways fifth floor is just about as valuable az
a ground floor. The basement has q solid CO.
ment floor. A portion of it is occupied by the
elevator machinery, steam heating and electric
lighting apparatus, coal storing room, and a
room for rubbish. The remainder viii be given
up to the display and sale Of rubber goods
hunting and sporting goods, and articles COM
ing under the head of tourists outfits. On the
first or main floor will be the hat department,
occupying the LIZ the furnishing department
occupying the fronts on both 9TH street and the
Avenue, and the mems suit and pantaloon de-
partment, which will occupy the space in the
given up to boys and childrens furnishings and
hats and caps and the main part of the floor to
boys and cnildrens suits and the offices of the
book-keeper aud members ofthe firm The third
floor will be devoted to overcoats in the winter
and in summer TO thin garments not made Of
wool. On the fourth floor portion of the "L'
The remainder OF the al" and two-thirds of the
main hall or room will be used for tailoring and
for the display of woollen goods, while the re-
On the fifth floor is the stock room, where goods
will be received, opened and distributed, and
unreasonable goods will be stored. The CON
struction of the building is of the most substan
tlal and durable character. The finish even OF
parts not exposed to the view of the general
public is elegant. The ventilating and lighting
arrangements are perfect. On the ground floor
will be one of the most spacious and elegant
salesrooms In the country. Its great depth and
ing Objects 50 that the eye does not at rst conn
prehend the great size of the plate-glass mirrors
ranged about the walls The ceiling is twenty
columns reach from the floor to the ceiling The
building is finished throughout in hard wood
The wood used on the first floor is oak, richly
carved and polished. The show windows,
which take up nearly all the frontage on both
thoroughfares, are marves In point of size, and
huge plates of glass are used in their cOnstruc-
~
ID feet. These plates were made to order in
Belgium and upon arriving in this country
were brought to this city by water. The rail-
them, as no method of transportation could be
devised by which they could be taken through
tunnels. A high wainscoting or screen Of oak
will form q background for the display in the
windows. Within the store against this VAIN
scoting will be placed shelves and cases for
goods. AT regular intervals will be a door
giving access from the salesrOOmS to the show
windows. These doors to one inside the store
will appear as mirrors only, as heavy
plate glass mirrors have been sunk into their
frames These mirrors with other huge glasses
in the wall, make twenty mirrors in all on this
floor in which Saks & Co.'S well-dressed Gus
toners can view themselves. Ten spacious
dressing-rooms are provided on this floor. be-
sides tOiet-rOOms and cashiers desks. The
second floor Is finished elegantly in cherry.
The offices of the members of the firm and the
bOokkeeper occupy the space at the south end
and are handsomely finished and fitted up. In
addition to the Office rooms is waiting or
room In one s Of the private offices is
floor is finished in oak and the fourth in maple.
The ceiling of the second floor is nineteen feet
from the floor, that Of the third seventeen feet,
and that of the fourth sixteen feet. The fifth
floor has ceiling of an average height of thir-
teen feet. On all of the floors are double rows
of graceful huted iron columns. An immense
elevator with both passenger and freight COM
partments runs from the basement to the fifth
floor. In addition three lifts or dumb walters
are provided to assist in expediting business.
A grand wpStprn
affords additional means of communication be-
tween the first three floors This stairway Is one
The newels and balustrades are of heavy oak,
carved and polished. The stairway
is lighted by huge arched windows of stained
the third to the fourth and from the fourth to
the fifth floors. The solid and rich woodwork
encasing the elevator well is another notable
feature of the building. There are dressing
rooms and toilet rooms on each floor. The store
fixtures, tables, counters and cases have been
made to harmonize in style with the massive
are in communication with the offices and with
one another by means Of speaking tubes. Over
four miles of speaking tube have been placed
ment. Both gas and electricity will be used in
the building. The gas fixtures
have been so arranged that the different sec
instantly merely by pressing button. There
will be three divisions of light on each floor,
and the whole floor can be lighted with
-
The large plate glass windows in the upper
floors have been arranged to revolve On pivOts,
so that they may be opened or closed with ease,
and thorough ventilation be secured. The
of the firm are more than pleased
with the work of the architect, Mr.. John Fraser,
and of the contractors, Messrs. Kenderdine and
Paret, and say that the building is even finer
than they expected 1t would be. A fact, most
to the firm, Is that the final cost as
not exceeded the original estimate by five per
cent The construction of the building has been
so carefully guarded, that no sign Of settlement
can be detected at any point. Saks Il Co. are
now engaged in stocking this great building.
The firm will no longer be known as "5aks 4
Co., Clothiers,' but as ''Saks Co., Outfitters,"
for the extension of their business, SO as 10 In
cude hats and furnishings, requires q more
elastic term than "clOthiers."
Many little cOnveniences have been intro.
duced in the building, such as shutes for dis.
patching to the basement bundles intended
for delivery. The establishment will be opened
to the public on the 18th inst, which day will
be the eighteenth anniversary OF the foundation
of the house, for Mr.. Andrew Saks began busi-
ness as q clother September IL, 1867, In store
fronting on 7th street, occupying the northern
portion of the site OF the new building. That
date has also been chosen for the opening, be-
cause it Is the seventy-sixth birthday OF the
father Of the Messrs. Saks. Work on the new
building was begun eleven months ago.
An IMPROVEMENT ON THE AVENUE
The Handsome store Building Erected
for Harris 4 Shafer.
r.-ay -