Evening star., 1938-12-25
New Hahn Shoe Store
Plans Call for
Public Clock
Building Is Expected
To Be Completed
About Easter

Plans for new Hahn shoe store
on the southwest corner of Sew
enth and K streets NV, featur.
mig another public clock, were an.
nounced yesterday by William Hahn
q Co. to settle mooted question.
For nearly 40 years, until a fire
destroyed the old store of the firm
on the same site December l2.
1887, thousands of Washingtonians
had timed themselves daily by its
famous tower clock. In the inter-
vening year they have missed 1t
badly. though in late years "old
faithful" as 1t was known to many,
became a little erratic OCCASION
ally.
Now that work has started on
the foundations for the new main
store, the firm is being piled with
questions which all reduce to this:
Will the new store have a clock
also? The answer given yesterday
was an emphatic yes" 1t won't
be quite so high in the air, for the
new building will be only two
stories above ground. But it is guar
anteed to keep perfect time as it
Will be electrically operated.
Since the fire the firms main
store has been located at 9l5 Sew
enth street. 1t expects the new
building will be completed about
Easter.
Fifth Branch to Be Opened.
1t is being erected by the Charles
H. Tompkins Co. and was designed
by Porter g. Locke, local archi-
tects. Plans call for a two-story
and basement store which will serve
also as Office headquarters.
At the same time it was an
nounced by the firm that it will
open its fifth branch store in the
city between February Is and March
l in a newly leased building at Con-
necticut avenue and Albemarle
street. The building is on the
southeast corner, with 81 feet 'front.'
ing on Connecticut avenue. Ample
parking space will be provided for
patrons.
The new branch store will be
chiefly womens and childrens
shop.
About 4,5Oo feet of floor space will
be provided in the new downtown
store. It will be air conditioned
throughout. The ground floor will
be devoted to merchandise and the
second floor will accommodate gen.
eral Offices for all the firms stores.
The basement will be used for stock
rooms.
Firm Founded In 1875.
When completed the building will
have dark marble base and white
limestone exterior for the upper
floors. An ornamental treatment of
glass brick will be given a diagonal
facade above the main corner and
the new clock will be mounted on a
parapet wall.
One of the oldest shoe firms in
Washington, the firm was founded in
1876 by the late William Hahn. The
original store, known as the "West
End Bargain House" was in the
1900 block of Pennsylvania avenue.
Three years later it moved to 8l6
Seventh street, and in 1891 moved
again to the site on which 1t is
now rebuilding. 1t was not until
1893 that the main store was en-
larged and the tower clock added.
During the 40 years the site was
generally known as the clock cor
ner."
Mr.. Hahn later took two Of his
brothers, Morris and S. Fred Hahn,
into the firm. Subsequently three
sons of William Hahn became mem
bers of the firm, including the late
Harry w. Hahn.
The firm is now comprised of
Edwin Hahn. president; Gilbert
Hahn, vice president and treasurer,
and Harry w. Hahn, jr.. secretary.
The firm also operates a store in
Baltimore.